At a time when there is much discussion about the role of women in the Christian Church, one cardinal demonstrated the power of respect caught in a moving photograph that has sparked enthusiastic approval as well as vehement criticism.
Wow, simply wow!
LOOK: Here’s What Happened When A Catholic Cardinal Asked A Female Pastor To Anoint Him
Cardinal Jorge Mairo Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aries, Argentina has become the new Bishop of Rome and the new Pope. He will go by Pope Francis I which is a reference to St. Francis of Assisi. May God bless him and his ministry.
Here we go….The new Pope is about to be revealed. Stand by!
nbcnightlynews: Seagull perched atop Sistine Chapel chimney as world awaits next round of smoke
Is this a sign from God?…..Who knows.
This is a great site to follow online to keep track of the Papal Conclave and the most famous smoke stack in the world. Click on this site to see if a new Pope has been chosen. Black smoke = no Pope, white smoke = Pope.
I am not Catholic. But I have special friends who are. So this has me thinking about the future of The Roman Catholic church. Soon a conclave of Cardinals will gather to decide who the next Pope will be.
It got me thinking about looking at other world leaders and their average age is in comparison to The Pope. In Europe the average age is around 55. In Africa its in the 70’s. It appears to me that a new Pope needs to be somewhere in between that age range. Leading the church into the future will require someone who can be around awhile.
The leader of the Roman Catholic church needs to be spiritually grounded, theologically sound but they have to address many needs so thinking outside the box would be helpful. They need someone who can govern and get control of the problems that have plagued the Church for a long time. Whoever the Cardinals choose needs to be open to the Holy Spirit. This will be an interesting process to watch from a small distance.
I have a deep appreciation for the Catholic Church and I have friends who are Catholic. Prayers for Pope Benedict XVI as he leaves his post and for his health. May his successor work to bring people to Christ and to strengthen the church universal.
VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI said Monday he lacks the strength to fulfill his duties and on Feb. 28 will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. The announcement sets the stage for a conclave in March to elect a new leader for world’s 1 billion Catholics. (via My Way News – Pope to resign Feb. 28, says he’s too infirm)
When Pope John Paul II passed away my wife and I followed the funeral proceedings with great interest as well as the election of a new pope. For my Catholic friends the church is now in transition as a new Pontiff will lead the church into the future.
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