Henley beach Star issue No 7 Nov. 2013.pub (Read

Celebrating the Antioch Miracle
When discovering this Star’s theme as being ‘celebration’, I
could not have felt more fitting about my journey thus far
within the Henley Beach Antioch group; a circle of people I
will call some of my best friends for the rest of my life.
Celebration is one of the many words I could use to explain
the unique experience I’ve had in being a member of the
State’s largest Antioch group, alongside others such as
inspiration, fulfilment and shenanigans (but don’t worry –
they’re very tame!).
I must confess my initial apprehension towards joining as a
‘newbie’ on the group’s up-and-coming October Outreach
Weekend in 2009, yet can speak safely for many others,
too, in saying I’m so glad I took the leap of faith I did,
entering into a social situation like I never had before
(consisting of such down-to-earth, genuinely loving young
people, which I’m sure many can agree is very rarely found),
which at the time appeared strangely intimidating. Now I
see this decision as one of the best I’ve ever made. Despite
my intentions to share many more beautiful moments with
my fellow Antioch friends, I consider myself already so
lucky in what I have been able to experience as an
‘Antiocher’ (a.k.a. crazy young person, or simply, ‘Jesus
Lover’). With the spine-tingling emotion put into every talk
shared in our circle, to the friendship strengthened every
time we all meet for a birthday, coffee catch-up, movie and
board games session in the Church Hall on a rainy day, and
especially when coming together to support the local
community and those in need (through volunteering for St
Vinnie’s appeals and raising funds for the Red Cross through
bake-offs, etc.), it’s evident there is a magical aura surrounding a room where two or more Antiochers
stand, and there is nothing quite like an Antioch bond. Hence, I acknowledge my Antioch journey as a
celebration in itself; a celebration of love, life, friendship and Jesus’ presence within the hearts of each
of his followers. No matter colour, race, age, gender, socio-economic status or academic strength, the
nature of the Antioch journey is one of love, and this is why the space of Antioch within my heart is one
I consider celebratory. Not only has Antioch taught me how to strengthen my friendship with Jesus
through learning how to love those surrounding me, but it has taught me to love myself. Celebrations are
beautiful. They bring us together and in doing so, bring out the best people we are, just as having
Antioch in my life has done for me.
I encourage all youth within our Parish or wider community, to take the leap of faith so many
have bravely taken before, and speak with one of our 2014 January
Outreach Weekend leaders, Lia or Chris, about coming along and
experiencing a journey like never imagined.
In Christ’s love,
God Bless You,
Henley Beach Antioch x
Mary-Anne Maio.
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Marriage Encounter South Australia Completes two successful weekends.
The Central Unit for Marriage Encounter SA/NT has successfully completed two Marriage Encounter
weekends this year at the Nunyara Conference
Centre in Belair. The weekends run from Friday Evening to Sunday
Afternoon. Couples with the presenting team members spent the weekend
building on their marriage relationship, enriching their relationship and
enhancing their communication.
“Couples came from as far away as Port Augusta to experience marriage
encounter. All left with a new commitment to each other and their relationship”
said Greg Sutton, Central Unit Ecclesial team member.
Participant comments included “I feel the importance of this weekend and its
definitely beneficial for my journey with my wife’ and “this is the best way that
the Church & Society can support married couples”.
The gift of Marriage Encounter and the experience it offers to married couples is given graciously with
the help and encouragement of the Marriage Encounter community and priests. Joining a weekend is
easy. For details on our upcoming 2014 May and October weekends, please see the Parish Notice Board and the
Parish Newsletter.
Greg and Irene Sutton
Fr Jack Boog
WWME Central Ecclesial Team
Marriage Encounter Naonal Council Meeng held in Adelaide.
The Marriage Encounter National Council Meeting
was held in Adelaide in August this year. Rotating
from State to State each year, delegates are drawn
from National Leadership teams all around Australia.
Each year, we join to celebrate the successes of the
movement nationally, the Pacific Region and the
World. We discuss some of the issues and pressures
facing the Church and married couples today and we
seek to assist couples to rekindle their love
“It’s a great opportunity to meet personally with the
Unit Leaders from each State, hear how the
movement is progressing and share ideas” said Greg
Sutton, Central Unit Ecclesial team member.
“It is a great way to maintain the vibrancy and keep in
touch with the important work Marriage Encounter is
doing to encourage all married couples to nurture
their spousal relationship”, he said.
The Marriage Encounter Community in Adelaide
also had the opportunity to meet and socialise, with
the National and State leaders. It was refreshing to
exchange stories and renew friendships”.
Greg and Irene Sutton
Fr Jack Boog
WWME Central Ecclesial Team
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Congratulations
Anniversary
Celebrations
Archbishop Wilson celebrated Mass for those with special anniversaries in the Cathedral in
September. He is in the top photo with Henley Beach office ladies and their partners.
Immediately above are our office staff and their partners, Paul and Helen, Lawrie and
Maureen, and Sue and Dom who celebrated anniversaries with Fr John who was celebrating
his 40th anniversary as a priest, accompanied by our parish deacon .
Opposite are the special couples on their wedding days. They were celebrating
a Pearl wedding, a silver wedding and a Ruby wedding at the Mass. Wonderful
achievements! May they have many, many more years of happiness together.
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Congratulations
Celebrating
their
Pearl Wedding Anniversary
Sue & Dom Fanto
Married at
Mater Christi Seaton
26th December 1982
30 Years
Celebrating
their
Silver Wedding Anniversary
Helen and Paul Reichstein
Married at
St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Burra
29th October 1988
25 Years
Celebrating
their
Ruby Wedding Anniversary
Maureen and Lawrie Hughes
Married at
St Michael’s Kaniva
6th October 1973
40 Years
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THROWING A TOAST
FOR JOSE
And you quenched his thirst with SA's
Coopers Light Ale. You gave him love
and Aussie Mateship.
Joseˊ was a stranger and you took him in
- and how! He quickly realised and
graduated to give back as good as he
got!
Joseˊ was naked - an unashamed man of
Purity and Grace. He is the eldest of five.
He has two married sisters, and two
younger brothers, the youngest of which
is studying now in his final year for the
priesthood in Rome.
Joseˊ celebrated
his thirty second birthday with us recently.
(By the way, a hundred bucks for anyone
who has naked photos of Joseˊ - roars of
laughter!)
Was Joseˊ sick? Yes, he was
homesick when he arrived now he is homesick for South
Australia.
Was Joseˊ a prisoner? Of
course - he was imprisoned by
his fears and uncertainties, but
you freed him with your
Christian community, concern
and acceptance.
And so Ladies and Gentlemen,
Girls and Boys and Baby Edward top up
your glasses and your milk bottle, I give
you a Toast:
Senor Master of Aerospace Engineering,
Joseˊ Guadalupe Loˊpez Castellanos of
Guadalajara, Mexico, and graduate of our
own excellent University of Adelaide
in this Year of Our Blessed Lord
2013....A Toast! A Toast! A Toast!
Finally, Joseˊ: Boomerang, Mate! Come
back soon. And stay longer.
Everyone, I give you an extraordinary
MEXRALIAN bloke... Joseˊ !"
Rachel
Brennan of
Brooklyn Park
told me at
the
eleventh
hour
that
she wanted me
to give the
toast for Jose
Guadalupe Lo pez
Castellanos, a Mexican from Guadalajara,
who lived in a flat on the Brennan's
property while studying at Adelaide
University. Jose had just graduated
with his Master's Degree in Aerospace
Engineering in the Bonython Hall, North
Terrace. This left only a few hours to
prepare for the Toast at the evening's
celebrations.
I said: "Ladies and Gentlemen,
Girls and Boys and Baby
Edward, the Brennan's ninth
beautiful child,
to whom
Jose has recently become
Godfather, Rachel asked me
to give a toast to Joseˊ."
Producing a slice of toast, I
s u rp ris e d e ve r yo n e b y
throwing it across the food
laden table to Joseˊ who deftly caught it in
his hand and everyone roared with
laughter.
I continued: "Over two thousand years
ago a man of astute and accurate
judgement of human character was
recorded as saying that if you want to
discover the true character of a person,
then put him through the sieve of these
traits and see how he measures up in
reality.
Joseˊ hungered for friendship when he
arrived in Adelaide two and a quarter
years ago. You welcomed him and fed
Toast Master, 82 year old Hugh Webb.
him with your love and companionship.
He was thirsty for knowledge of English
and Strine ( his mother tongue was
Spanish) and he was doing a degree in
his second language - the mind boggles!
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Celebrating a Beautiful Parish Family
Our names are Dave, Hildie, Alexis and James Auret. Many of you would know us
from the 5.30pm Sunday mass.
We have been part of the Parish community for about 11 years, and first visited back in
2000 when we were travelling around Australia. In 2002 Dave and I married back in
South Africa and moved to Adelaide permanently a few days after our wedding. We
have been regulars at the 5.30pm Sunday mass ever since.
The birth of our daughter, Alexis, in 2006, was the key that opened the door to the
heart of the Parish. The love and countless well wishes we received from everyone at
the time were extremely overwhelming. How the years have flown by! Alexis, now 7,
attends Star of the Sea School. Little James (who would immediately say “I’m not
little, I’m a big boy” - if he could read this) was born in 2009, and we will be celebrating
his fourth birthday in the next few weeks. Through our children we have made many
new friends at the Parish. When you leave your family to move to another country,
your friends become your family, and we have been very fortunate to have met some
wonderful people through the Parish.
Attending mass and being part of the Parish has been a strong constant in our lives.
Dave grew up in Zimbabwe as one of five children. His family attended mass every
Sunday, and his Father’s steadfast commitment to the Catholic Church has been a
strong influence throughout his life. Dave is the one that rounds up all the troops and
makes sure we get to mass most Sundays.
I was born in South Africa and grew up in a small farming community where going to
church was an important part of life. It was where most of the socialising was done!
Although not Catholic, I have always felt very welcome at Henley and feel very much
part of the community.
The story of our involvement with the Parish is not complete without mentioning
Father John. His wonderful friendly nature, openness and interesting and thought
provoking homilies have meant a lot to our family on a personal level.
We feel very blessed to be living in such a lovely city and to be part of such a great
Parish and hope to be involved with Henley for many years to come.
Hildie
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Fr Michael Nguyen CSsR
Some people step aside, serene, their eyes closed but
fully conscious. Others fall back into the arms of readywaiting men – men who had volunteered their strength
before the “praying over” had gotten under way.
Such was the scene at Good Shepherd Parish in
Lockridge one evening last month at one of three
retreats conducted by the Rome-based retreat master Fr
Michael Nguyen CSsR – his third visit to Perth in the
past four years.
He flew into Australia, having just given a retreat in
Herzegovina and before that, Portugal, Germany,
Rome, London, California, Houston and Canada.
Earlier that evening, the priest stood at the lectern with
a guitar, leading the congregation in his own
unassuming brand of praise and worship before
preaching up a storm, challenging people to get to know
and experience God to an ever greater extent.
Fr Nguyen told The Record he had some fairly definite ideas about what he was going to do as a priest
working in Houston, Texas.
Raised in Manitoba, Canada but born in Vietnam, it was to an English-speaking church that the
Redemptorist priest wanted to minister in the late 1990s but his superior had other ideas.
Between 1999 and 2011 he served as the director of Radio Me Hang Cuu Giup, Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Radio, a service broadcasting in Vietnamese in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
It was a good lesson, he said, in learning that authentic joy comes from putting one’s life in the hands of
God, and not in following one’s own will.
“It has not been a struggle for me. I cannot hold on to my vocation by myself. It’s impossible. It’s a
divine calling,” Fr Nguyen said.
“You walk with the Lord. You follow the Lord, one day at a time.”
That is not to say, Fr Nguyen hasn’t faced his own existential challenges – every Christian faces them.
Fr Nguyen is the only priest of his seminary initial intake to be in ministry (the only other man to be
ordained from his year left the priesthood last year). He not only challenges other Catholics to grow in
their faith – in knowledge and love. It is a challenge he sets himself.
“What do you do? You start thinking about formation and not just formation for other people but for
myself – asking myself ‘what does it mean to be a priest in today’s world?’
“I cannot give a definition for myself. I have to go back to the Apostles and Jesus. How does he live his
life? Do we have any saintly role models? Of course, we do.
“This is the Year of Faith and I am asking myself, ‘what does faith mean?’
“I’ve said to people throughout Australia… it means theologising in order to understand – faith seeking
understanding. I challenge people to think about what they believe and why they believe what they
believe, and how to explain their faith, not just to themselves, but to their children; to have the courage
to share with non-Christians.”
“This is my conviction, it is a waste of Christ’s precious blood just to save Catholics only. Salvation is not
just for Catholics alone. You need the Muslims, the Orthodox, Protestants, whoever – the non-Catholics
and the atheists.”
“You share it not just at the intellectual level but you have the experiential encounter with the Lord.”
As a former radio director, he sees a distinct role for Catholic media in furthering appreciation for truth
and God’s plan for, and presence in, the world.
“The media is supposed to present the whole truth to the people. We’re not cutting corners here or
there,” Fr Nguyen said.
“It takes a lot of courage to be a true journalist, a reporter. We are supposed to report to the people
without bias.
“What I look for as a Catholic, doing journalism or reporting, I seek for Good News not just news. We
can create news. We look at a situation and then we look at some angle and we report it but what kind of
angle are we reporting?”
“My preference is to report it from the spiritual side. That term is very abstract but basically it’s to see
the presence of God in every situation.”
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“The role of the media is to produce the truth from all sides and then to find the Good News… and to
represent the voices of people, especially those who don’t have the choice to speak up, the poor, the
abandoned.”
The Church faces challenges of negative perception, because of the way in which people viewed priests
owing to scandals such as abuse.
“How are we going to change the perception of the people? I’m going to start with myself first,
rethinking what is going on.”
“Pope Francis says go out there, be with the people, speak the voices of the people. Be there with the
people, not just hiding in your parish, in your four walls.”
“Go out there. Live the poor life. Understand their suffering and pain,” Fr Nguyen said.
He eschews the fire and brimstone rhetoric Redemptorists were known for, particularly prior to the
1960s. To be a Redemptorist, he said, is simply to be in love with our Holy Redeemer.
“Who is in charge of my life? Me or the Lord? It is no longer between me and the world, me and my
flesh, me and the devil, it is about me and the Lord. ‘You are in charge, or I am in charge.’”
“Tomorrow, somehow I need to love him more, in my thoughts, study more, love him more in my heart
by resolution, by doing something more.”
“When you’re in love, you know, it’s never enough. St Teresa of Avila or St Alphonsus said that love is
never enough. And the moment you lack is when you stop creating. Love is very creative. It finds a way.
Great poetry, music, art. When you are in love you do that… it’s loving all the time,” Fr Nguyen said.
Article from The Record , Perth; Author and Photographer: Robert Hinni .
Submitted by Jasmine Nguyen
Fr Michael Nguyen gave a mini-retreat in Henley Beach Parish on 5-6 August 2013.
Following are some of the responses:
...I attended several sessions of
the two day Retreat given by
Fr Michael Nguyen CSsR and
was very impressed by the way
he approached the sessions of
personal experiences and we
could feel his faith which, I am
sure, touched all those who
heard.
The teaching of the Divine
Mercy Chaplet was great to
hear and learn.
It would be
great if Fr Michael could
return next year as I believe
the parish and community
would benefit great spiritual
renewal.
Anonymous
I was lucky to attend some of the Divine
Mercy Retreat with Fr Michael Nguyen
directing it.
I was amazed and thrilled to see the
number of people at the retreat.
The
devotion and prayerfulness shown was
humbling.
Fr Michael is a well
educated priest with great charisma.
His homilies were simple in content but
d e e p i n mea ning .
The many
retreatants listened with deep respect
and interest.
We were fortunate to
have Fr Michael here to give the Retreat.
He has a great following in Adelaide
with people coming from many areas,
even from interstate.
In his very busy
schedule it would be wonderful to hear
him again in Adelaide.
Jill Snook.
21
The Chapel of Divine Mercy Retreat
August 24th, 2013
Dear Father John Rate
I arrived early on the first day as I was to
help prepare. It was only 8.15am so I was
surprised to see many people already there
and a hive of activity, everyone busy either
cooking or preparing food or helping to carry
tray after tray into the kitchen. I thought we
must be expecting the army! So much food.
Fr Michael Nguyen arrived about 9.00am
and held one to one confessions and
counselling till lunch time at 12.00noon.
The long queue to see him never seemed to
get shorter and Fr Michael never seemed to
tire.
Lunch was like a banquet.
Everyone
enjoyed delicious meals and so much...
After lunch was a time of personal prayer
followed by a talk by Fr on The Divine
Mercy then praying the chaplet together.
There were about 180 - 200 people attending
during the day, nearly all Vietnamese with
only a handful of parishioners. They were
such lovely people. Very hospitable and
loving and very happy.
Fr Michael is Vietnamese but has spent a
long time in America and is now in Rome.
He spoke in English because the retreat had
been advertised as English speaking. Many
of the people would not have understood
English well, but that did not stop them from
smiling!
We had another great meal about 5.00pm
and had plenty of time to get to know each
other. Mass was at 7.00pm and the Church
was full.
I enjoyed the retreat of Father Michael
Nguyen.
Sitting and listening to his homily and
sharing the company of the Vietnamese
community I felt as though we were one
big family.
I do hope that next year we could
enjoy this experience again.
Kind regards,
God Bless
Angelina Kammermann
A Healing Mass is held on the 2nd Wednesday
of each month in the Church.
Rosary is at 7.00pm followed by the
Healing Mass at 7.30pm. This includes the
Sacrament of Anointing followed by
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Prayer
Ministry in the spirit of Taize and supper in
the Church.
The Prayer group meets each Wednesday
night at 7.30pm in the Church.
Enquiries: Ph Pauline 0403 002240.
All Welcome.
This book is a fascinating
and thought provoking book
on the influence of the Bible
on the thinking and
development of the modern
western world in all its
aspects.
It is not a book
about the Bible. The author,
Indian philosopher Dr Vishal
Mangalwadi, says this book
is about great literature and
art; great science and liberating technology;
genuine heroism and nation building; great virtues
and social institutions. In his discussion he
moves in and out of cultures and eras with
remarkable speed and perceptive observation. As
an intellectual from the East and one who is
familiar with Western thinking, he has been able
to compare and contrast the two and show how
Truth has shaped the unique and thinking
civilisation of Western society and education.
This is a very readable book and one which gives
refreshing insight to a different and thoughtful
view of the global and historical influence of the
Bible.
On the second day it was a healing Mass and
it was estimated that about 400 people were
there. Everyone went up for Father to lay
hands on them and pray for them. I don't
think anyone left without being truly blessed.
We did not finish till about 11.00pm. Fr
Michael did not stop all day, yet he was in
great pain most of the time. I am sure our
parish was blessed by his presence.
I hope he will visit us again
soon.
Kay.
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MEDJUGORJE
How long since you heard that name?
It is not out of the news and out of mind. I am sure it is as relevant now
as when it first became famous.
On 24th June 1981 the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, reportedly
first appeared to six young people from this village, Medjugorje, on a
hillside near the village. Our Lady continued to appear daily and I
assume that She continues to do so to the now adult children.
Despite the Jugoslav government attempts to make visiting the village difficult, visitors
from around the world, in their millions, came to see for themselves what was happening.
It became the number one tourist attraction in Jugoslavia.
The government still
harassed locals and visitors but grudgingly allowed the influx because of the economic
gain.
In August 1988 I was privileged to visit there with Dawn, my wife, her sister and her
husband, also Kevin. We arranged our trip from Salzburg, in Austria, and drove there
on the very winding road on the Adriatic Coast. Medjugorje is among the inland
mountains on the way to Mostar, a large town.
We attended morning Mass in the Church of St James which was packed with tourists.
Many priests con-celebrated Mass. Above the Village is a mountain named Krizevac on
the slopes of which Stations of the Cross Had been established. We joined a party of
mainly Americans and made the Stations on the way to the concrete Cross on the peak.
It was during the descent that an event happened which, if I needed it, convinced me
that something "unusual" to say the least, was present in that area. On the lower
slopes of the mountain I noticed a stand of tall pine trees near the Village. I noticed that
from the tops of the trees that there were flames issuing and I thought what fool has set
fire to the trees? As I watched I realised that the trees were not being burned and I
thought of the burning bush in the Bible. I wondered if I had really seen this event, but
the other Kevin also saw it. The believability of the appearances of Our Lady and the
trees event has left me in no doubt that something beyond technical or scientific
explanation was and is no doubt still occurring. So far as I am aware the authenticity of
the appearances of Our Lady has not been officially recognised by the Church. Our
lady told the children ten secrets and the dates on which the various secrets would come
to pass. She also said that there would be a visible sign given to humanity on the hillside
where the first appearance occurred, prior to which there would be given three warnings.
She told them that the sign would be given as testimony of the apparitions and a call back
to faith, not only to Catholics but to all people.
Maybe oversimplifying the messages, there is a call to "Conversion"
of the world's peoples.
Kevin Kerin
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FRANCIS AT THE SIX-MONTH MARK
SEEMS A FORCE OF NATURE.
Abridged from an article by John L. Allen Jnr. Sept 13 2013.
All things Catholic
As it has come to be understood in the 21st century, the papacy is really an impossible
job. A pope is expected to be the CEO of a global religious organisation, a political
heavyweight, an intellectual giant and a media rock star, not to mention a living saint.
Any one of these things is a life's work; rolled together, they're a prescription for
perpetual frustration.
Yet at the six month mark, which falls today, Pope Francis is drawing better reviews on
those five scores than anyone might reasonably have anticipated back on March 13th,
either in terms of the magnitude of the task or background of 76 year old Cardinal
Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Immediately on his election he revealed himself to be a Pope of Firsts: the first from the
developing world, the first Latin American, the first non-European for almost 1300
years, the first Jesuit and the first to take the name Francis.
Over and over again he has demonstrated the capacity to surprise. He has casual regard
for security and speaks his mind with refreshing frankness. He telephones people direct
and is willing to talk about the current issues of the day such as the military strikes in
Syria.
The author says: "make no mistake, Francis is a phenomenon, a force of nature who's
raised expectations, upset predictions, created a new sense of possibility, set tongues
wagging and in some quarters sent anxieties soaring - in just six months."
Pope as CEO: Francis was elected on a reform mandate. Cardinals were voting for
change. They expect their new pontiff to deliver a Vatican which is more efficient, more
accountable, more transparent and more collegial in the way it operates. So far the
creation of an eight member council of cardinals from around the world (including
Cardinal Pell) to advise the Pope on governance of the universal church and the
appointment of the Italian Archbishop Pietro Parolin to serve as Secretary of State,
traditionally the pope's prime minister, are his two most important moves so far.
Appointing Bishops will be significant. He depends on them to implement his vision at
the retail level. He wants prelates 'close to the people, fathers and brothers'. "They
should be gentle, patient and merciful; animated by inner poverty, the freedom of the
Lord and also by outward simplicity and austerity of life." Men who do not "have the
psychology of princes.” In terms of style Francis is a hands-on man. He by-passes
subordinates to get things done, thus avoiding agenda manipulation and leaks in the
Vatican. On the other hand, if things go wrong he will be blamed.
As a politician he has demonstrated a flair for dramatic gestures to put the church's
social and political concerns at the front and centre of public
attention. He has launched a strong appeal against the globalisation
of indifference to immigrants and threw a wreath of yellow and white
chrysanthemums into the sea in memory of the 20,000 people who
have died making boat trips hoping to reach a better world.
He
implores host societies to ensure that the arrival of new migrants does
not cause "new and heavier forms of slavery and humiliation". His
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comments have been criticised because it has been pointed out that the Vatican does not
exactly open its doors to anyone who wants refuge in the papal palace! In Brazil in July
he visited, at his specific request, a notorious favela of Rio de Janeiro. He held up the
poorest of the poor like a mirror to the global conscience and insisted that 'the measure
of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who
have nothing apart from their poverty'. He is willing to confront world leaders on antiwar issues and even uses his twitter account to send out anti war messages.
The release of Lumen fidei in July was mainly the work of the previous Pope, but
attributed to Francis in particular is this: "To the extent that (seekers of the postmodern
world) they are sincerely open to love and set out with whatever light they can find, they
are already, even without knowing it, on the path leading to faith." It says "Anyone who
sets off on the path of doing good to others is already drawing near to God."
Francis is stimulating thought by example. He claims that God's mercy has no limits.
He seems to be introducing a more episcopal ministry where service to communion has
more emphasis. He may stimulate reflection about liturgical theology and encourage it to
become more informal. If he moves to greater flexibility, he may cause Catholic
sacramental theology to be understood not just as expressions of communion of faith but
also to be understood as "medicine for the sick soul".
As a media figure before
becoming Pope, Francis was
very reticent, but his
rapport with media has
taken all his friends by
surprise. His appreciation
of how to respond to the
media has been a revelation.
In Italy, Vanity Fair
declared him Man of the
Year.
Elton John termed
him "a miracle of humility
in the era of vanity." He is
amazingly popular among
Church and non-church
people alike. The question is
will it last?
Popes wear many hats but
from the spiritual point of
view their most important responsibility is to promote lives of holiness. Does Francis
inspire? So far his signature touch has been on mercy and God's endless capacity to
forgive. Another word he uses frequently is joy. But he says the strongest message of the
Lord is mercy. He captures this belief in the motto he has chosen to use as Pope:
'Miserando atque eligendo' which roughly translated means "by having mercy and by
choosing."
When his term ends people will ask many questions, but perhaps Pope Francis himself
will ask if he has left behind a more merciful church and a more merciful world.
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