Pope Francis appears for first angelus in St Peter's Square

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
3/18/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Pope asks the more than 100,000 people gathered to pray for him

Before more than 100,000 people that had massed in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis gave his first Angelus prayer and asked the faithful to pray for him. "Thank you for your welcome, and for your prayers," the first pope from the Americas said from a window of the papal apartment high above the square. "Pray for me," he added.

The pope's family emigrated from Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. The former cardinal said he chose to name himself after St Francis of Assisi because of his 'spiritual ties with this land.'

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Dozens of flags from Francis's native Argentina were waved as former cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio recited the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer, the first of his papacy. While the occasion has traditionally been a moment to comment on international issues, Francis used the moment to emphasize his Italian roots.

The pope's family emigrated from Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. The former cardinal said he chose to name himself after St Francis of Assisi because of his "spiritual ties with this land."

The pope was welcomed in high style as around 1,000 people thronged a narrow passageway outside the Church of Saint Anna, his local parish church just inside the Vatican gates, as he arrived for mass. Francis walked along the barrier reaching deep into the crowd, shaking hands, laughing and joking. It marked his first occasion to meet members of the public up close since being elected this past Wednesday.

There were chants of "Francesco, Francesco" as he turned and walked through the iron gates out onto the main street, where most of the crowd were waiting, leaving his anxious security men rushing to keep up.

As the service began, he was led inside the building, waving as he went.

The mass led by the first Latin American pontiff was held in the Santa Anna Church within the Vatican walls ahead of his first appearance in a window of the papal apartments at noon.

As onlookers began to leave, the pope reappeared minutes later, wearing a purple bishop's miter and robes, as part of the procession at the start of the mass.

Cries of surprise were quickly hushed as the crowd recognized they were part of the service. The faithful wait for a glimpse of the new Pope

Maria Hakolinen, who prays at the church every morning, said she had never seen Pope Benedict there on a Sunday morning. "I come here every day so I thought of course I should come to say hello you are welcome," she said.

"I see that he is a very natural, very sensitive and very special person," she added.

"We really took him into our hearts in that same moment when he prayed the Our Father in St Peter's square and started to pray with us and asked us to pray with him."

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Pope Francis, angelus, public appearance, church

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

abey
2 months ago
Poe Francis did say the strongest message of the Lord is "Mercy" on which He never gets tired. Denotes the Mercy seat on the "Arc of the Covenant", the covenant to reconcile Man with God, ever since the fall.
Muzahidul Islam
2 months ago
Common issues of different religions, especially between Islam & Christianity and main problems of the world:

Thanks a lot to the new pope. I am a Muslim. We believe Christian and Muslim can meet to many common issues at present world. As well there are many Similarities between Islam and previous religions [Christianity & Jewish]. A few examples are as below.

Jesus said, “And He has made me blessed anywhere I am and has guided upon me prayer and donation [to poor] as long as I remain alive”. Al-Quran, Surah Al-Maryam [the Mary]: 31.

Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in grade. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs and We supported him with the Pure Spirit. Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah: 253.

Because of that, we decreed upon the Children of Isra’el that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for violence [done] in the earth - it is as if he had killed mankind entirely. And whoever saves one person - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And Our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors. Al-Quran, Al-Ma’idah: 32.

And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide things and food for them and for you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin. Al-Quran, Surah ‘Isra’/Bani ‘Isra’el: 31.

And do not come close to illegal sexual contact. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. Al-Quran, Surah ‘Isra’/Bani ‘Isra’el: 32.

We wish admirable pope Francis will forward to such fundamental problems of our present world.

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