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[Catholic Caucus] Father James Martin to address participants of 2023 World Youth DayFr. James Martin's ongoing rise to prominence under the reign of Pope Francis continues apace with his upcoming roles at World Youth Day.The prominently pro-LGBT Jesuit Father James Martin is set to address participants of World Youth Day, as he joins the Jesuit team who are hosting a series of events in the official World Youth Day (WYD) program. Martin revealed his update via a July 27 social media post, stating that he was set to speak at the Jesuit’s pre-WYD Magis event, before speaking at WYD itself....

"We Don't Want to Convert Young People to Christ or the Catholic Church": Francis's New Cardinal Denies The Great Commission"Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Known as "the Great Commission," spreading the Gospel and making converts is a basic duty of all Christians, as set forth by Our Lord in sacred scripture. At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis reiterated this call in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.But the results of the Church's evangelization efforts during Francis's pontificate have been disappointing,...

Fear That Panama’s World Youth May Be Flop – Only 150.000 Registered Alessandro Gisotti, the Interim Director of the Holy See Press Office, admitted (January 18) that only about 150,000 people have signed up for World Youth Day in Panama (January 22 to 27). He hopes more to come who have not registered.The location for the main event has a capacity of 700.000 people. Gisotti excuses the small crowd explaining that students in North America and Europe are at school. At the last three World Youth Days in Spain (2011), Brazil (2013) and Poland (2016) there were between 2 and...

Today, someone sent me the latest column at First Things by American Catholic writer and papal biographer George Weigel, entitled “WYD-1993: The Turning Point.” I am not, in general, a fan of Weigel’s work, which I find by turns dull and frustrating — often both. This column is no exception, and yet it serves as a potent illustration of something very much worth talking about: that so-called “Conservative Catholicism” is illusory — a self-imposed, often starkly tone-deaf deception designed to maintain an incredibly destructive lie: that the Catholicism you’ve been given your whole life is the real thing, and therefore,...

Czestochowa, Poland, Jul 28, 2016 / 04:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Those who embrace their own littleness become the “spokespersons” of God, Pope Francis said during Mass at the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, celebrating the 1050 anniversary of Poland becoming a Christian nation. It was the first major event of the Pope's trip to the country for the 31st World Youth Day.“To be attracted by power, by grandeur, by appearances, is tragically human,” the pontiff said in his homily. “But to give oneself to others, eliminating distances, dwelling in littleness and living the reality of one’s everyday life:...

Pope Francis has established a tech-savvy track record as Pope, and now in addition to breaking records on Instagram and becoming the first Pope to use Google Hangouts, he will give World Youth Day pilgrims a new electronic app. From the creators of 2011’s “YouCat” youth catechism, a new version of the book called the “DoCat” has been developed, which intends to present the Church's social teaching in a creative style more attractive and comprehensible to youth. The new book will be launched during World Youth Day in Krakow and given to young pilgrims by Pope Francis in the form...

Vatican City, 3 July 2014 (VIS) – In a press conference held this morning the metropolitan archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, presented the logo and official prayer for the 31st World Youth Day.Three elements are combined in the symbolism of the logo: the place, the main protagonists , and the theme of the celebration. The logo of the 2016 World Youth Day, to be held in Krakow, illustrates the passage from the Gospel according to Matthew, 5.7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”, chosen as the theme of the event. The image is composed of...

Saint John Paul II was an amazing man, priest, bishop, pope, and now Saint! But here are 10 things about him that you may have never known: Saint John Paul II could speak Latin fluently. A rare art these days. Oh and besides his native Polish, he could also converse in: Slovak, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Ukrainian, and English.Saint John Paul II received his call to the priesthood when he once accidentally “caught” his father praying alone during the night on his knees.Saint John Paul II was an expert on Saint John of Cross and the Carmelite...

Paul Jarzembowski speaks with CNA on April 10, 2014 Credit: Marco Gandolfo/CNA Vatican City, Apr 14, 2014 / 05:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At a recent gathering discussing preparations for World Youth Day in Krakow, a coordinator for the event emphasized how each year many youths receive the courage to answer their vocational call. “Year after year, the first thing we’ve seen is vocations. There are a lot of people who feel the call to serve the Church at this gathering,” Paul Jarzembowski expressed during an April 10 interview with CNA. “Perhaps it’s the call of the Holy Father, perhaps it’s...

Tuesday, August 6, 2013 The Lord in a Plastic Cup -- Giving Communion at WYD in Rio (Rio de Janeiro) scurrilous, thoughtless, horrifying forms of an unworthy giving of Communion and a similar reception are customary to Catholics. At World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro the poor understanding of the Eucharist has reached a new high point of slovenliness. Pope Benedict XVI. went with his example and gave Holy Communion only to those faithful who knelt and received on the tongue. It was a contribution to the restoration of reverence and comprehension for the Holy. The priests employed were...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To help encourage prayers for a spiritually fruitful World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, the Vatican announced July 9 that Pope Francis authorized a special indulgence for those who attend the event's liturgies and prayer services or follow along online in the proper spirit of prayer and contrition. Pope Francis decreed that World Youth Day participants can receive one plenary, or full, indulgence a day if they meet the usual conditions. World Youth Day runs July 23-28; the pope arrives July 22. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due...

"On flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome" Journalists fired improvised questions at the Pope for one hour and twenty minutes. The Pope agreed to hold the press conference straight after take-off, despite how tired he was after an eventful World Youth Day week in Brazil. Francis surprised journalists with his willingness to answer all questions put to him, even those which touched on really thorny issues like the reform of the Vatican Bank (IOR), the Ricca case, the gay lobby, Vatileaks and even the content of the black leather bad he carried on to the plane which flew him...

Polish pilgrims celebrate after hearing the news that the next World Youth Day will be hosted by Krakow, Poland in 2016. Credit: Estefania Aguirre/CNA. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 28, 2013 / 09:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- “The next World Youth Day in the year 2016 will be in Krakow, in Poland!” the Pope said at the close of Sunday Mass in Rio July 28. The event is sure to attract millions. Bl. Pope John Paul II was Archbishop of Krakow before his election to the papacy. The archdiocese has about 1.5 million Catholics and over 1,100 diocesan priests across 439...

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the crowds at World Youth Day (WYD) in Rio are much larger than the mainstream media predictions. Just last week we were hearing that WYD might be a disappointment. Early registrations were lagging behind expectations. The Brazilian government didn’t want to kick in extra funding. Lots of young Brazilians disagreed with the Pope. Those gloomy predictions didn’t even take into account the spectacularly bad weather that has turned outdoor meeting places into bleak acres of ankle-deep mud. Doom! Disaster! But wait. When the curtain rose on WYD, there were 500,000 enthusiastic...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Pope Francis has shown the world his rebellious side, urging young Catholics to shake up the church and make a "mess" in their dioceses by going out into the streets to spread the faith. It's a message he put into practice by visiting one of Rio's most violent slums and opening the church's World Youth Day on a rain-soaked Copacabana Beach.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Pope Francis will bless the Olympic flag, visit a slum and address upward of 1 million young Roman Catholics in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on Thursday, as Latin America's first pope continued his inaugural international trip as pontiff.

Many Catholics hope Pope Francis will strengthen laymen and women in church, who have been taking on responsibilities of priests in some rural areas. That might trigger a revolution, experts say. The Catholic Church in Latin America has a way of dealing with contradictions: Instead of discussing whether women should be allowed to be ordained to the priesthood or debating the celibate, laymen go ahead and create precedents in their religious communities. They've come up with new forms of church services - services without a priest. Hopes are high during this year's World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro that...

Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics have gathered Wednesday on Copacabana beach as World Youth Day kicks off. Pope Francis will make a first appearance at the gathering on Thursday.

The Pontiff was forced to arrive at Guanabara palace, the house of the governor of Rio state, by military helicopter, as protesters clashed with riot police using tear gas, water cannon and stun grenades.

Pope Francis arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, beginning a week-long Apostolic visit to mark the twenty-eighth World Youth Day. After a brief formal greeting at Rio’s Galeão airport, the Holy Father proceeded to Guanabara Palace for the official Welcoming Ceremony, where he was received by the President of Brazil, Dilma Vana Rousseff Linhares, the Governor of Rio State, Sergio Cabral Filho, and the Mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes. In her formal remarks, the President expressed joy and gratitude at the Holy Father’s visit. The Holy Father returned those sentiments, and placed...