Religion

Missio würdigt „Weltkirche“ beim Konklave

https://www.vaticannews.va/de/kirche/news/2025-04/missio-wallner-weltkirche-kardinaele-konklave-globaler-sueden.html

Aus Afrika sind bei der Papstwahl ab dem 7. Mai 18 Kardinäle aus 17 afrikanischen Staaten anwesend. Das internationale katholische Hilfswerk Missio Österreich stellt einige Kirchenmänner aus den Kirchen des Globalen Südens vor.

Ab dem 7. Mai werden sich im Konklave 53 europäische Kardinäle, 37 amerikanische (16 aus Nordamerika, 4 aus Mittelamerika, 17 aus Südamerika), 23 asiatische, 18 afrikanische und ...

„Mehr Kardinäle als je zuvor stammen aus den jungen dynamischen Kirchen des Globalen Südens“, so der Nationaldirektor von Missio Österreich, Pater Karl Wallner. „Wir erleben dort heute eine gläubige, liebesstarke und wachsende Weltkirche. Das macht mir Hoffnung für das Konklave.“

Starke Stimmen gegen soziale Ungerechtigkeit

Besonders freut sich Pater Karl Wallner über fünf „Missio-Kardinäle“. „Sie sind ein lebendiges Zeugnis für die Arbeit der Päpstlichen Missionswerke“, so der Nationaldirektor. Die Kardinäle aus Tansania, Ruanda, Madagaskar, Papua-Neuguinea und dem Südsudan wurden allesamt während ihres Studiums durch Priesterpaten in Österreich finanziell unterstützt. Sie seien „in ihren Heimatländern starke Stimmen gegen soziale Ungerechtigkeit und setzen sich für Frieden und Dialog ein“, so Missio.

Die fünf „Missio“-Kardinäle

Kardinal Antoine Kambanda aus Ruanda, Erzbischof von Kigali.   (@JP Bodjoko, SJ/Vaticannews)

Kardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla aus dem Sudan, der Erzbischof von Juba im Südsudan.

Kardinal Désiré Tsarahazana aus Madgaskar ist Erzbischof Toamasina in Madagaskar.

Kardinal Protase Rugambwa aus Tansania ist der Erzbischof von Tabora.

Kardinal John Ribat aus Papua Neuguinea, der Erzbischof von Port Moresby

Religion

via Vatican News - Deutsch https://www.vaticannews.va/de.html

April 29, 2025 at 01:17PM

Zwei (biblische) Herrscher

https://www.feinschwarz.net/herrscher/

Ein Herrscher, der ein großes Reich regiert und ein kleines Land überfällt. Ein zweiter Herrscher, der ein ebenso großes Reich regiert und mit spontanen Erlässen […]

Der Beitrag Zwei (biblische) Herrscher erschien zuerst auf feinschwarz.net.

Religion

via REL ::: feinschwarz.net https://www.feinschwarz.net/

April 29, 2025 at 12:07AM

We’re Good at Critiquing the Church. Not So Great at Loving It

https://relevantmagazine.com/current/oped19/were-good-at-critiquing-the-church-not-so-great-at-loving-it/

At some point in the last few years, many Christians realized something that should have been obvious all along: The Church has problems. Real ones. Some big, some systemic, some heartbreakingly personal. From scandals to culture wars to the simple feeling that Sunday services have started to resemble TED Talks with fog machines, it’s easy — almost too easy — to find something worth calling out.

And to be clear: Calling things out has its place. Jesus flipped tables, after all. But lately, in our rush to be critics, many of us have forgotten something just as important as honesty: humility.

Tim Keller once observed, “The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.”

It’s easier — and feels better — to stand at a distance and dissect what’s wrong with the Church than it is to wade into the mess with a spirit of patience and grace. It’s safer to post a hot take than to serve on a prayer team. It’s way cooler to say, “This isn’t what Jesus intended,” than it is to show up week after week, risking the slow, frustrating work of building something better.

The critique era isn’t just alive and well — it’s thriving. Deconstruction podcasts, endless TikTok storytimes, thoughtful threads and less-than-thoughtful comment sections. Everyone’s got receipts and reasons. And while much of it is valid and necessary, some of it has morphed into an echo chamber of cynicism that forgets what the church actually is: not an organization for the righteous, but a hospital for the sick. Not a flawless institution, but a body made of flawed people — including you and me.

As theologian N.T. Wright put it, “You can’t have the Kingdom without the Church.” Translation: If you love Jesus, you’re stuck with his messy, inconsistent family. Criticizing it without participating in it is like booing from the bleachers while refusing to get in the game.

Humility doesn’t mean silence. It doesn’t mean pretending abuse didn’t happen or looking the other way when leadership fails. It means being the kind of person who doesn’t just point out the cracks but picks up a brick and helps repair the foundation. It means saying, “I see what’s broken — and I’m willing to be part of the healing.”

John Mark Comer emphasized, “Humility is not thinking of yourself at all. The humble person is lost in the needs of others.”

The New Testament is full of letters calling out churches for their failings — Corinth, Galatia, Laodicea were all publicly dragged long before social media existed. But Paul didn’t call for mass unfollows or strategic exits. He called for repentance. He called for restoration. He called for people to stick around and help.

And that’s where humility comes in. True humility says, “I might not have all the answers.” It acknowledges that personal preferences aren’t the blueprint for perfect Church. It leaves space for nuance. It trades performative outrage for actual service. It asks, “What part of this is broken — and what part of this is just uncomfortable for me?”

It’s worth asking: What kind of Christian am I becoming? One who builds, or one who tears down? One who critiques because I love the Church, or because I love the sound of my own voice? Am I more invested in calling out problems than I am in praying for people? Am I willing to commit to a community, even if it doesn’t check all my boxes?

Yes, there are churches that are toxic. Yes, there are leaders who need to be held accountable. Yes, there are problems that require real, public reckoning. But healing doesn’t happen through critique alone. It happens through the unglamorous, uncool, deeply spiritual work of staying when it’s easier to leave. Serving when it’s easier to complain. Praying when it’s easier to post.

Criticism has its place. But without humility, it’s just noise.

The Church doesn’t just need your voice. It needs your hands. It needs your heart. It needs your humility.

Religion

via REL ::: RELEVANT http://www.relevantmagazine.com/rss/relevantmagazine.xml

April 28, 2025 at 04:01PM

‘Maga Catholics’ are gaining ground in the US. Now their sight is set on the Vatican

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/maga-catholics-vatican-pope-conclave

Once the papal conclave starts, the cardinals choosing Pope Francis’s successor will be strictly shut off from the world until a new pope is named. But the coming days before the conclave begins on May 7 will see competing factions of Catholics, including many laypeople, campaigning in the Vatican and the US to influence the church’s future – none with more urgency than those discontented with Francis’s liberal reign.

American Catholics will fight to play a central role. Soon after the news of Francis’s death reached faithful the world over, the American counter-revolution mobilized, Vatican watchers say. Red-eyes to Rome were booked. Long-distance phone calls were made. Various cardinals likely received sudden dinner invitations.

No one involved calls it “lobbying” – that would be untoward, and it’s “subtler than what you see in DC”, Philip Lawler, a conservative Catholic writer and the author of a book critical of Francis, said. “But representatives of all points of view, from across the spectrum, will be doing their best to ensure that the cardinals understand their concerns.”

“I’m going to Rome on Saturday, and I’m late to the game,” Francis X Maier, a Catholic writer and the former adviser to Archbishop Charles Chaput, said last week. “There are all sorts of people already meeting with bishops and cardinals and trying to create the environment that they want.”

For conservative, traditionalist or self-described “orthodox” Catholics, fresh from 12 uneasy years under Francis, this interregnum will be the last chance in a long time to try to reset a church that they believe has drifted too far left. To some, that means pushing for a church that clearly affirms polarizing but longtime Catholic teachings on sexuality, marriage and abortion. Others, many of them associated with the priorities of Donald Trump and his supporters, would go further, and press for a church that is explicitly, politically rightwing – or at least less hostile to the Maga movement’s stances on immigration, social welfare and the environment.

Steve Bannon, perhaps the most public and inflammatory voice of rightwing Catholic discontent, has said he intends to organize a “show of force of traditionalists” with confrontational “wall-to-wall” media coverage. Most politicking, however, will take the form of quieter wheeling and dealing.

Conservative Catholics have their papal draft picks – Raymond Burke, Gerhard Müller, Péter Erdő and Robert Sarah are often mentioned – though observers are skeptical that the next pope will break Francis’s mold, in part because he appointed most of the cardinals who will choose his successor. Yet conservative Catholic Americans are unusually influential and wealthy, and the Vatican needs “American money and American influence”, said Massimo Faggioli, a professor of religious studies at Villanova University.

And while the conservative faction is a minority, it “shouldn’t be dismissed. For them, this conclave is just one battle in a war that lasts decades.”

“Do I have time to talk to the Guardian about the fake pope?” Steve Bannon asked when I reached out for an interview. “Of course I do. Always.”

For years, Bannon – Trump’s former adviser and a self-described traditionalist Catholic, though he has been divorced three times – has used his massively popular political podcast, War Room, to wage blistering attacks on the Francis pontificate. He has charged the pope with being a Marxist subversive, a globalist anti-American, even illegitimate.

Trump’s then-chief strategist Steve Bannon at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on 21 December 2016. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images

Much of conservatives’ anger centers on Francis’s record of pronouncements that seemed to relax or render ambiguous Catholic social doctrines. In 2013, when a reporter asked Francis if there were gay men in the Vatican, he famously remarked: “Who am I to judge?”

“‘Who am I to judge?’” Bannon repeated, incredulous. “Yo, dude, you’re the pope. That’s kind of the gig. You’re supposed to be judgmental. This ‘empathy’ is all phony. He brought the therapeutic 20th century into the church. The church is not supposed to be therapeutic.”

Devout Catholics have historically been difficult to place in the American political binary. They were often anti-abortion but in favor of immigration and a social safety net. “I believe all the church teaches,” Leah Libresco Sargeant, the author of two books on her Catholic faith, told me. “I try to live up to it. And obviously that makes me a poor fit for either political party.”

Still, working-class Catholics were a traditional base of 20th-century Democratic party support, and activist Catholic clergy marched in protests for black civil rights and against the Vietnam war. Yet the legalization of abortion drove some prominent Catholics who had previously supported leftwing causes to the conservative movement.

While the stereotypical Christian conservative of popular imagination may be a Bible-thumping Southern Protestant, Catholics have for years dominated the intellectual leadership of the American right. Five of the US supreme court’s six right-leaning justices are Catholic, despite the fact that Catholics are only about a fifth of the US population. JD Vance – the vice-president who earlier this year sparked a feud of sorts with the Vatican about immigration and compassion and also met briefly with Francis shortly before his death – converted to Catholicism in 2019.

Although borderline sacrilege by normal Catholic standards, Bannon’s fulminations against Francis have found a ready audience among a demographic that the New York Post has coined “Maga Catholics”: Catholic Americans who are militantly conservative, both theologically and politically, and see no tension.

Francis did a favor to a resurgent Catholic right, Bannon argues: “His reign of terror has been nothing short of disastrous. And that’s why you’re having a massive reaction, particularly in North America, where he rejuvenated the traditional church here.”

Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he leaves St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, on 29 March 2015. Photograph: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Gregory A Smith, who studies religious demography at Pew Research Center, noted that polling shows that most American Catholics – including most Catholic Republicans – viewed Pope Francis favorably throughout his pontificate. Yet starting around 2018, an ideological gap began to open, with Catholic Republicans reporting less favorable views of Francis than Catholic Democrats.

Pointedly referring to Francis mostly by his secular, pre-papal surname, Bergoglio, Bannon outlined numerous grievances.

Among his arguments: that the Pope was hostile to the old-fashioned Latin mass liturgy beloved by some American Catholics, did not hold alleged abusers in the clergy fully accountable, muddled longstanding doctrines about sexuality and marriage, undermined US sovereignty by celebrating mass immigration, and betrayed persecuted Christians abroad by allowing the Chinese communist government control over the church there.

“He’ll burn in hell just for that,” Bannon said of the agreement with China. He admitted that his stance was probably not representative of the average person in the pew.

Yet many of these complaints, in more respectful form, are common to the orthodox Catholics who are the church’s most engaged, influential and financially generous constituency.

Conservative Catholics got used to a certain kind of papacy and a sympathy for their causes during the 35 years of John Paul II and Pope Benedict, and some of them thought that history was over

Massimo Faggioli, Villanova University

While disagreeing with some of the conservative characterizations of the state of the church, Faggioli said that American detractors of Pope Francis have momentum, to some extent, on their side. American priests starting their vocations today are on average more conservative, not less, than their older peers, he noted.

Latin masses are popular where they are offered. And the past couple years have seen a surprise influx of young adults converting or reverting to Catholicism, many of whom seem to want “smells and bells” and moral certitude, rather than the casual Catholicism they associate with their parents’ generation, or the rainbow flag-adorned progressivism of many mainline Protestant churches.

“The living and vibrant parts of the US church are not those who were most enthusiastic about the Francis pontificate, but those who have embraced the ‘all-in’ Catholicism of John Paul II and Benedict XVI,” George Weigel, a neoconservative Catholic writer, told me by email as he traveled to Rome. “In the main,” he argued, “Francis’s most vocal supporters were the aging and shrinking parts of the American church.”

He contrasted the Anglican church. “[A] lot of the most engaged Catholics in the United States don’t think of the Church of England as a very impressive model of Christian vitality, and they rightly attribute its decline to its embracing a lot of contemporary culture, rather than working to convert that culture.”

His views echo outside the US, as well. Recent data suggests that Catholics may soon outnumber Anglicans in Britain for the first time since the 16th-century Reformation, with the change driven in large part by gen-Z churchgoers, even as British society as a whole continues to become more secular.

Cardinals are seen as coffin of Pope Francis is transferred to St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, on 23 April. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Not all conservative or orthodox Catholics were unhappy with Francis.

In the magazine First Things, the conservative writer Sohrab Ahmari, who converted to Catholicism in 2016, argued recently that the substance of Franc

‘Papabile’ of the Day: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa

https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/04/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-pierbattista-pizzaballa/

Each day between now and the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis, on a date yet to be set, John Allen is offering a profile of a different papabile, the Italian term for a man who could be pope. There’s no scientific way to identity these contenders; it’s mostly a matter of weighing reputations, positions held and influence wielded over the years. There’s also certainly no guarantee one of these candidates will emerge wearing white; as an old bit of Roman wisdom has it, “He who enters a conclave as a pope exits as a cardinal.” These are, however, the leading names drawing buzz in Rome right now, at least ensuring they will get a look. Knowing who these men are also suggests issues and qualities other cardinals see as desirable heading into the election.

ROME – When Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa heard the news Easter Monday that Pope Francis had died, he immediately cancelled his appointments and packed his bags for Rome. As he was leaving the headquarters of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where he has led the Catholic flock in the Holy Land for the last decade, a small group of aides, employees and friends gathered outside as he was getting in the car to head to the airport.

A visibly touched Pizzaballa watched as they sang to him in Arabic: “May the Lord guide your steps with his wisdom, fill your heart with his spirit, and be with you if it’s his prayer that you should lead his Church.”

Aside from being a sweet gesture, the impromptu serenade also had the feel of a farewell, since the people making up that cluster knew there’s a decent chance they won’t be seeing the 60-year-old Pizzaballa again anytime soon except on a TV screen as pope.

Pizzaballa was born in 1965 in the small community of Castel Liteggio in Bergamo, the same province that gave the Church St. John XXIII, “Good Pope John,” whose memory still lives in countless ways in the region. He felt a religious vocation at a young age and entered the minor seminary, eventually becoming a member of the Franciscan order.

In Bologna the young Pizzaballa studied philosophy and theology, where he came to the attention of Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, an archconservative and a man of deep learning and culture who would eventually ordained Pizzaballa to the priesthood in 1990.

Shortly thereafter Pizzaballa made his way to Jerusalem, where he studied at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum and earned a degree in Biblical theology. He later studied modern Hebrew and Semitic languages at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before entering into the service of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, with primary responsibility for the Hebrew-speaking Catholic population.

Pizzaballa became the 167th Custodian of the Holy Land in 2004, and for the next twelve years he would become known as one of the few figures in that perennially divided corner of the world to forge friendships across the usual divides. He earned trust among Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and Egyptians alike, developing a reputation as a moderate man of patience, listening and dialogue.

As one fruit of that profile, in 2014 Pope Francis entrusted Pizzaballa with organizing a peace prayer in the Vatican Gardens between then Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, in the presence of both the pope and Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

In 2016, Pizzaballa was named the apostolic administrator of Jerusalem, effectively taking over the governance of the Church in the Holy Land from Jordanian Patriarch Fouad Twal. At the time the appointment raised some eyebrows, since the appointment of Patriarch Michel Sabbah in 1987, and then Twal, was believed to have ended the Italian monopoly on the position and marked a transition to elevating patriarchs from the local Catholic population.

Yet those who knew the situation on the ground reported that the local clergy was divided, and in any event, they no longer regarded Pizzaballa as an outsider.

His first challenge was to address a deep financial crisis caused by Twal’s insistence on pouring money – some estimates claim as much as $100 million – into the construction of a Catholic university in Jordan without a clear business plan. Pizzaballa eventually righted the ship through a combination of aggressive fundraising, cutting costs and selling off assets, including real estate holdings in Nazareth.

In 2020 Pizzaballa formally took over as patriarch, and in 2023 he was created a cardinal by Pope Francis. Almost immediately the war in Gaza broke out, and ever since Pizzaballa has found himself trapped between his friends in Israel and the Jewish world on one side and his largely Palestinian and Arabic-speaking flock on the other. To the extent anyone can, he’s tried to show sympathy and understanding for both sides: He’s sharply criticized what he sees as the excesses of the Israeli military operation, but he also offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the Israeli citizens held by Hamas.

Personally, Pizzaballa sometimes comes off as a bit brusque upon first contact, but progressively warmer and with a keen sense of humor as one gets to know him. He’s also said to have a prodigious work ethic.

The case for Pizzaballa as pope?

First of all, precisely because his life has been dominated by the complexities of the Middle East and the Israel/Palestinian divide, he’s never really been forced to take clear public positions on divisive doctrinal and pastoral issues. Where he might stand on, say, the blessing of people in same-sex unions or the ordination of women deacons is something of a mystery.

As a result, he doesn’t bring a lot of baggage into the conclave in terms of past ecclesiastical controversies, potentially making him attractive both to those seeking continuity with Pope Francis and those hoping for change.

Moreover, Pizzaballa’s record of straddling the Israeli/Palestinian divide, sometimes achieving the rare feat of seeming to be on both sides at once, could be a selling point in a conclave in which healing the internal Catholic divisions unleashed by the Pope Francis era may well seem a priority.

Certainly Pizzaballa’s reputation for astute financial management would come in handy at a time when the Vatican is facing a deep fiscal crisis, including looming shortfalls in its pension funds. The hope might be that if he bailed the Patriarchate of Jerusalem out of debt, maybe he could so the same thing for the Holy See.

Utterly unscientifically, you just look at Pizzaballa and you sort of see a pope. He’s tall, with a distinguished-looking Van Dyke and the bearing of a serious man. Taken together with his background and reputation, it’s a compelling package.

One final consideration: A pope is also the Bishop of Rome, and although Pizzaballa isn’t Roman he does have a claim on local affections. His uncle, Pier Luigi Pizzaballa, was a goalkeeper in Italy’s top-flight soccer league, Serie A, in the 1960s and 70s, including a stint with the Roma squad from 1966 to 1969. Given how passionate Romans are about their soccer, they’d might be inclined to transfer some of that to their new bishop.

The case against?

The argument against Pizzaballa generally begins with his age, 60, which could augur for a longer papacy than some cardinals may wish. Yet his age could also work the other way, assuring cardinals wishing stability that they won’t have to go through the upheavals of a papal transition again anytime soon.

In addition, the lack of a clear indication of where Pizzaballa stands on many contested Catholic issues could frighten some voters, leading them to his a Pizzaballa papacy as too much of a journey into the unknown.

For all those who feel the election of another Italian pope would be a step back rather than forward, Pizzaballa obviously would be disqualified on those grounds, even if he’s spent most of his adult life outside Italy.

A final footnote.

In Italian, Pizzaballa’s last name literally means “pizza dance.” Merely contemplating the dancing pizza memes his election would generate suggests he would also be a compelling figure from a media point of view, perhaps affording him the chance to pick up the cultural megaphone left behind by Francis.

Religion

via Crux Now https://cruxnow.com

April 28, 2025 at 09:26AM

(S+) Meinung: Katholische Kirche: Warum es gut ist, dass die Kirche immer mehr an Bedeutung verliert

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/katholische-kirche-warum-es-gut-ist-dass-die-kirche-immer-mehr-an-bedeutung-verliert-meinung-a-20ca6202-7592-420b-a564-17399bb5b68f

Freier Zugriff auf alle S+-Artikel auf SPIEGEL.de und in der App

Wöchentlich die digitale Ausgabe des SPIEGEL inkl. E-Paper (PDF), Digital-Archiv und S+-Newsletter

52 Wochen rabattierte Laufzeit

via DER SPIEGEL

April 28, 2025 at 04:34PM

How will Pope Francis' legacy shape the conclave?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/27/nx-s1-5374079/how-will-pope-francis-legacy-shape-the-conclave

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Philip Shenon, author of "Jesus Wept: Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church," about how Pope Francis' legacy will shape the upcoming conclave.

Religion

via NPR Topics: Religion https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1016

April 28, 2025 at 12:18AM

Pope’s final journey: 11 symbolic moments from Francis’ funeral procession

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263705/popes-final-procession-11-symbolic-moments-from-francis-funeral-cortege

Scenes from the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025 / Vatican

Rome Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 21:29 pm (CNA).

The six-kilometer journey that transported Pope Francis’ body from St. Peter’s Basilica to St. Mary Major featured profound symbolism and emotion. Here are some of the more significant moments:

Departing through “the door of his home”

After the funeral Mass, pallbearers carried the coffin not through St. Peter’s Square but via the Perugino Door, steps from Casa Santa Marta — the Pope’s Vatican residence throughout his 12-year pontificate — from which he often “escaped” for surprise visits around Rome.

The Mexican popemobile as hearse

In a gesture rich with meaning, the coffin was transported in a white popemobile that Mexico had gifted to the Vatican in 2017 — a modified Dodge Ram that the pope used during his historic 2016 visit to the country. Pope Francis’ apostolic journey to Mexico lasted six days, from Friday, February 12, to Wednesday, February 17, 2016, when he visited five Mexican cities.

From Vatican to Rome crossing the Tiber

The procession crossed the Tiber River via the Prince Amadeo of Savoy Bridge, symbolically marking the passage from Vatican City to Rome. This moment represented Pope Francis’ intimate connection with his role as Bishop of Rome.

The Bishop of Rome’s final journey

Amid applause from attendees, the procession advanced along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one of Rome’s main arteries, where thousands of faithful gathered to bid their final farewell to the Argentine pontiff. The route also included the iconic Piazza Venezia, Rome’s neuralgic center, before turning toward the Imperial Forums, connecting Francis’ pontificate with the Eternal City’s millennia of history.

Passing the Jesuit church

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pontiff in history, maintained a special relationship with the Church of the Gesù in Rome, the main headquarters of the Society of Jesus. On July 31, 2013, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, he presided at a concelebration in this church. During each apostolic journey outside Italy, he sought to meet with local Jesuits.

The Colosseum and his final Way of the Cross

One of the most moving moments was when the coffin passed by the Roman Colosseum. As pope, Francis presided each Good Friday over the traditional Way of the Cross, praying for peace and remembering Christian martyrs. Due to health problems, Pope Francis had been unable to preside over this prayer at the historic site since 2023.

The Via Merulana and Corpus Christi

Traveling along Via Merulana, the procession left the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Rome diocese, in the background, recalling Francis’ special bond with his role as Bishop of Rome.

Via Merulana is the traditional route for Corpus Christi processions in Rome, dating back to Pope Gregory XIII, who established this route for religious processions between the two basilicas during the Jubilee of 1575.

Peter returned to his Mother: St. Mary Major

The culminating moment was the arrival at St. Mary Major Basilica, where Francis chose to be buried due to his profound devotion to the Byzantine icon of the Salus Populi Romani. This place held special significance for him, as he visited before and after each apostolic journey to entrust his mission to the Virgin Mary.

Francis rests near St. Jerome and Bernini

Besides Pope Francis, seven other pontiffs, various saints, and famous figures are buried in this church. Some have special connections to the late pope, including St. Jerome, whom Francis honored by instituting the Sunday of the Word of God on the saint’s liturgical memorial.

His tomb is steps away from Argentina in Rome

St. Mary Major Basilica is located just steps from the most Argentine place in the country: the Argentine embassy to Italy. Francis never returned to his homeland after being elected pontiff, and rumors circulated for years about his desire to be buried in Buenos Aires.

White roses from St. Thérèse of Lisieux on Pope Francis’ tomb

Pope Francis had a special devotion to the French Carmelite mystic, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, whose symbol is the white rose. The pope once explained his connection to these flowers, telling journalists in January 2015 after his trip to the Philippines: “When I don’t know how things will go, I have the habit of asking St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus to take the problem in her hands and send me a rose.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Religion

via CNA Daily News https://www.catholicnewsagency.com

April 28, 2025 at 04:09AM

Ende der Synodalität?

https://blog.zdf.de/papstgefluester/2025/04/27/ende-der-synodalitaet/

Zwei Welten hat man an diesem Sonntag in Rom erleben können. In der Basilika Santa Maria Maggiore zogen seit dem Morgen Menschen am Grab des verstorbenen Pontifex vorbei. Es war still oft nur die eindringliche Mahnung des Vatikangendarmen zu hören: „Don’t stop!“ Auf dem Petersplatz feierten zeitgleich 200.000 junge Menschen das Heilig-Jahr-Jubiläum der Teenager. Es wirkte so, als wäre gar kein Papst notwendig für das Fest. Wobei es einen Wehrmutstropfen gab. Der 15-jährige Cyberapostel Carlo Acutis konnte nicht wie geplant heiliggesprochen werden. Dafür wird dann doch ein Papst benötigt. Die Messe war zugleich der zweite Gottesdienst der neuntägigen Trauerzeit. Im Zentrum der Predigt des langjährigen Kardinalstaatssekretärs Pietro Parolin: die Barmherzigkeit. Passend zum ersten Sonntag der Osterzeit, dem Barmherzigkeitssonntag, und dem verstorbenen Pontifex. Über ein Thema, das Franziskus wichtig war, wurde übrigens gestern und heute nicht gesprochen.

Die Grabnische im Seitenschiff der Basilika Santa Maria Maggiore in Rom. (Foto: Erbacher)

Kommt Thema Synodalität noch?

Beim Blick mit etwas Abstand auf die vergangenen Tage fallen zwei Dinge auf. Kardinal Re fasste gestern in seiner Predigt die zentralen Punkte des Wirkens von Papst Franziskus zusammen. Ein Stichwort, dass Franziskus besonders wichtig war, fehlte dabei: die Synodalität. Nun hatte die Predigt sicherlich ihren Schwerpunkt im Bereich der Politik. Sie klang so, als könnte sie im Vatikanischen Staatssekretariat entstanden sein oder zumindest mit dessen Unterstützung. Im Fokus stand das Verhältnis der Kirche zur Welt inklusive der Politik. Re zeichnete Franziskus‘ Vision einer Kirche an der Seite der Menschen nach. Über Innerkirchliches sprach er nicht.

War das dem Augenblick geschuldet, dass Re angesichts der vielen und hochrangigen politischen Delegationen diesen noch einmal den politischen Papst vor Augen führen wollte und den Anspruch der Kirche, sich um der Menschen Willen in den Bereich des Politischen einzumischen? Hat er sich die innerkirchlichen Fragen für seine Predigt beim Gottesdienst vor dem Einzug ins Konklave aufgehoben? Es fällt auf, dass dieser zentrale Gedanke des verstorbenen Papstes, die Synodalität, an einem so besonderen Tag keine Erwähnung findet. Kardinal Re, der über viele Jahre in leitenden Funktionen in der Römischen Kurie tätig war, hat sich in den letzten Jahren nicht als ein großer Unterstützer des Lieblings-Projekts von Papst Franziskus hervorgetan.

Kollegialität statt Synodalität?

Es gib eine ganze Reihe von Kardinälen, die die Forderungen nach mehr Synodalität kritisch sehen und sich stattdessen mehr Kollegialität unter den Kardinälen wünschen. Franziskus hatte in seinem Pontifikat nur drei Konsistorien abgehalten, bei denen er mit dem gesamten Kardinalskollegium diskutiert und beraten hat. Davon ging es zweimal um die Kurienreform, ein Thema, das wenig mit pastoralen Fragen und der grundsätzliche Ausrichtung der Kirche zu tun hat. Bei den übrigen sieben Konsistorien gab es nur jeweils die Liturgien im Rahmen der Aufnahme neuer Mitglieder in den Senat der Kirche. Diese Ignoranz gegenüber dem Kardinalskollegium als traditionellem Beratungsorgan für den Papst führte zu Frust und Kritik bei vielen Purpurträgern. Zwar wurden sie weiter zu Mitgliedern der vatikanischen Dikasterien ernannt und konnten sich so in die Arbeit des Heiligen Stuhls einbringen, doch als Kollegium traten sie unter Franziskus nicht in Erscheinung.

Daher wünschen sich am Ende des Pontifikats eine ganze Reihe von Kardinälen erst einmal mehr Kollegialität und nicht mehr Synodalität. Was das für die Wahl des Nachfolgers von Franziskus bedeutet, wird sich noch zeigen. Die Beratungen dazu stehen erst am Anfang. Ab Morgen treten sie in eine entscheidende Phase. Angesichts der fehlenden Ausübung kollegialer Beratungen in den vergangenen zwölf Jahren kennen sich viele Kardinäle kaum. Das könnte für ein etwas längeres Vorkonklave sprechen. Bis Mitte der Woche rechnen viele Beobachter mit dem Termin für den Beginn des Konklaves. Sollte der bis dahin nicht bekanntgegeben werden, ist das ein Zeichen für mehr Gesprächsbedarf. Allerdings wurde auch beim letzten Konklave 2013 der Beginn der Wahl erst vier Tage vorher bekanntgegeben. Unterdessen beginne die Vorbereitungen in der Sixtinischen Kapelle. Ab Montag ist sie für Besucher geschlossen.

Religion

via Papstgeflüster – Das Vatikan-Blog https://blog.zdf.de/papstgefluester

April 27, 2025 at 09:19PM

Evangelische Kirche: Starker Anstieg bei Kirchenasyl-Nachfrage

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/kirchenasyl-migration-102.html

Evangelische Kirche Starker Anstieg bei Kirchenasyl-Nachfrage

Stand: 27.04.2025 15:47 Uhr

Offenbar suchen immer häufiger von Abschiebung bedrohte Asylbewerber den Schutz der Kirchen. Das deute sich schon nach den ersten drei Monaten des Jahres an, so die Evangelische Kirche. Und oft bleiben Betroffene schutzlos.

Die Nachfrage nach Kirchenasyl hat nach Einschätzung einzelner Flüchtlingsbeauftragter in den evangelischen Landeskirchen erheblich zugenommen - vor allem wegen wachsender Angst vor Abschiebung. Die Rückmeldung von Flüchtlingsbeauftragten und den zuständigen Ansprechpersonen für Kirchenasyl machten deutlich, dass die Zahl der Anfragen stark gestiegen sei, erklärte die Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) auf Anfrage der Tageszeitungen der Funke Mediengruppe.

Keine zentrale Erfassung von Kirchenasylfällen

Auf Nachfrage der Nachrichtenagentur dpa erläuterte eine Sprecherin, die EKD führe keine zentrale Erfassung von Kirchenasylfällen. Auch über Anfragen in einzelnen Kirchengemeinden oder Kirchenkreisen lasse sich keine bundesweite Statistik führen. Die Einschätzungen beruhten auf punktuellen Rückmeldungen aus einzelnen Landeskirchen - insbesondere von Flüchtlingsbeauftragten und Ansprechpersonen für Kirchenasyl.

"Nach deren Einschätzung ist die Zahl der Anfragen im Zuge eines gestiegenen Abschiebedrucks vielerorts deutlich angestiegen, teilweise haben sich die Anfragen mehr als vervierfacht", so die Sprecherin. "Zugleich wird berichtet, dass aufgrund der großen Nachfrage oft kein Kirchenasyl gefunden werden kann und Betroffene schutzlos bleiben."

Wachsende Angst und Verunsicherung

Auch die Vorsitzende der Ökumenischen Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Asyl in der Kirche, Dietlind Jochims, berichtet über eine wachsende Angst und Verunsicherung bei Menschen mit ungesichertem Aufenthalt. Diese Angst führe auch zu einer stark steigenden Zahl von Anfragen nach kirchlichem Schutz, sagte Jochims den Funke-Zeitungen.

Wie die Mediengruppe unter Berufung auf das Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) berichtet, meldeten die evangelischen, katholischen und freien Gemeinden im ersten Quartal 2025 insgesamt 617 Fälle von Kirchenasyl. Im selben Zeitraum 2024 waren es demnach 604 Fälle. 2024 seien es insgesamt 2.386 Fälle gewesen.

Für das Kirchenasyl gibt es keine gesetzliche Grundlage. Es ist ein vom Staat aufgrund christlich-humanitärer Traditionen geduldetes Sonderprivileg, um geflüchtete Menschen in Härtefallkonstellationen zeitweise vor Abschiebungen zu bewahren. Ziel ist, eine neue Prüfung des jeweiligen Falls durch die Ausländerbehörden zu erreichen und Zeit für die Ausschöpfung rechtlicher Mittel zu gewinnen. Immer wieder hatte es auch Kritik am Kirchenasyl gegeben, vor allem von Seiten der Innenbehörden.

Verschiedenes

via tagesschau.de - Die Nachrichten der ARD https://www.tagesschau.de/infoservices/alle-meldungen-100.html

April 27, 2025 at 03:55PM