Pope Francis

Pope Francis

Bolivian president Evo Morales Gives Pope Francis Commie Cross

Pope Francis born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936 is the Catholic Church's Pope.

Pope Francis’s Italian parents "were escaping Benito Mussolini’s fascist rule when they emigrated to Argentina."

Meeting with Gustavo Petro

Pope Francis with with Gustavo Petro

On January 19, 2024, Pope Francis met with Colombian president Gustavo Petro, who, in his youth, "was a member of the militant guerrilla group 19th of April Movement, which later evolved into the Alianza Democrática M-19, a political party in which Petro also participated. The "primary" purpose of the meeting was to request that the Vatican "host[ing] a round of dialogues" with the terrorist group ELN.

"In the early hours of Friday, January 19th, Colombian President Petro met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. This significant encounter, marking Petro’s first private audience with the pope since assuming the presidency, centered around the critical theme of peace. The meeting, following Petro’s participation in the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, lasted over 40 minutes and symbolized a profound moment for Colombian diplomacy.

Colombia’s pursuit of peace: A central theme in Vatican discussions

During this historic meeting, President Petro presented Pope Francis with a ruana, a traditional Colombian garment, crafted by local artisans, and Colombian coffee. In return, the pope gifted Petro a bronze sculpture depicting two hands clasping, a woman with a child, and a boat carrying migrants, accompanied by the poignant phrase, “Let’s fill our hands with others.” This exchange of gifts underscored the shared values and mutual respect between Colombia and the Vatican.

[...]

"Colombia’s flag flies in the Vatican"

As a gesture of honor, the Vatican raised the Colombian flag during President Petro’s visit, a symbolic act highlighting the importance of this meeting. Following the discussion with Pope Francis, the Colombian delegation, led by President Petro, proceeded to the Secretariat of State for further talks with the Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher, and a tour of Vatican City.

The primary focus of the meeting revolved around Colombia’s peace agenda, particularly the ongoing process with the National Liberation Army (ELN). President Petro hinted at the possibility of hosting a round of dialogues with the ELN in the Vatican, aiming to deepen the commitment to non-violence. He also touched upon the situation in Nicaragua and Colombia’s role in addressing the dispute.

The climate crisis, a key issue for President Petro, was also discussed. He shared a concrete proposal related to Colombia joining the treaty on non-proliferation of fossil fuels with Pacific island nations, which are currently facing imminent threats due to rising sea levels. This initiative seeks Vatican support to turn the treaty into a reality.

Shared ideals and future collaborations

President Petro reflected on his and the pope’s shared perspectives, both politically and religiously. He cited the pope’s encyclicals as a source of inspiration, particularly in relation to human interaction with nature and the concept of Fratelli Tutti, which aligns with Colombia’s stance on moving away from neoliberal regimes. The Colombian delegation included Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, Ambassador to the Holy See Alberto Ospina, and Hollman Morris, the Deputy Manager of Public Media Systems.

'Pope Francis Calls for Greater Dialogue and Cooperation Between Christians, Marxists'

'Pope Francis Calls for Greater Dialogue and Cooperation Between Christians, Marxists'

Pope Francis meets with Marxists

On January 10, 2024, Pope Francis met with a delegation of Marxists from a group he founded with others in 2014 called DIALOP (Transversal Dialogue Project)":,

"DIALOP was founded in 2014 after a meeting between Pope Francis, the Vienese leftist politician Walter Baier, former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, and Franz Kronreif of the Focolare Movement, a spiritual and social renewal founded in 1943 — and approved by the Church in 1962 — to promote universal brotherhood and to foster dialogue between different religious groups."

Pope Francis' speech to DIALOP Marxists:

Dear friends, good morning!

I am pleased to welcome you, the representatives of DIALOP, who for many years have been committed to promoting the common good through dialogue between Socialists/Marxists and Christians. A fine programme!

A Latin American writer once wrote that people have two eyes, one of flesh and one of glass. With the first, they see what they look at; with the other, what they dream of. Never lose the ability to dream! Today, in a world divided by war and polarization, we run the risk of losing the ability to dream. We Argentines say, “no te arrugues”, meaning “don’t back off”. This is my invitation to you as well: Don’t back off, don’t give up, and don’t stop dreaming of a better world. For it is in imagination, the ability to dream, that intelligence, intuition, experience and historical memory come together to make us be creative, take chances and run risks. How many times over the years have great dreams of freedom and equality, dignity and fraternity, reflecting God’s own dream, produced breakthroughs and progress. With this in mind, I would like to commend to you three attitudes that I consider helpful for your efforts: the courage to break the mould, concern for the less fortunate and support for the rule of law.

First, to have the courage to break the mould, to be open, in dialogue, to new ways. At a time marked by conflicts and divisions at various levels, let us not lose sight of what can still be done to turn the tide. Instead of rigid approaches that divide, let us cultivate, with open hearts, discussion and listening. And not exclude anyone at the political, social or religious level, so that the contribution of each can, in its concrete distinctiveness, receive a positive reception in the processes of change to which our future is linked.

Second, concern for the less fortunate. The measure of a civilization can be seen by how the most vulnerable are treated – let us not forget how the great dictatorships, we think of Nazism, discarded and killed those who were most vulnerable -: the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, immigrants, the exploited, and all those whom the culture of waste turns into refuse. This is one of the most terrible things. A politics that is truly at the service of humanity cannot let itself be dictated to by finance and market mechanisms. Solidarity is not only a moral virtue, but also a requirement of justice, which calls for correcting the distortions and purifying the intentions of unjust systems, not least through radical changes of perspective in the sharing of challenges and resources among individuals and among peoples. That is why I like to call those engaged in this field “social poets,” for poetry is about creativity, and here it is a question of putting creativity at the service of society, in order to make it ever more humane and fraternal. Do not be afraid of poetry, poetry and creativity. Let us not forget this ability to dream.

Finally, the rule of law. Everything said thus far calls for commitment to combating the scourge of corruption, abuses of power and lack of respect for law. It is only in honesty and integrity that healthy relationships can be established and that we can cooperate confidently and effectively in building a better future.

Dear friends, I thank you for your commitment to dialogue. There is always a great need for dialogue, so do not be afraid! I pray for you and I ask that you be granted wisdom and courage in your work for a more just and peaceful world. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ always inspire and enlighten your efforts and activity. Thank you.

Pope Francis and Bill Clinton Discuss Climate Change at Clinton Global Initiative

Verbatim from an Associated Press article by Glenn Gamboa dated September 14, 2023 titled "Pope Francis and Bill Clinton Will Discuss Climate Change at Clinton Global Initiative" posted at the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

"Pope Francis will discuss how to address the world’s pressing issues with former President Bill Clinton to open this year’s Clinton Global Initiative, organizers announced Thursday.

The pontiff will discuss broad issues — including climate change, the refugee crisis, the welfare of children — during an onstage videoconference with Clinton Monday morning, while also telling attendees about specific projects like the work of Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Italy. The two-day conference will take place in New York on Monday and Tuesday, as leaders in politics, business, and philanthropy gather to work on potential solutions to global concerns.

A conversation between U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also added to the conference Thursday, along with panels featuring Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Alphabet and Google President Ruth Porat, and NBA Hall of Famer and philanthropist Dwyane Wade.

They join previously announced “leaders, innovators and dreamers,” including World Bank President Ajay Banga, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres and Ford Foundation CEO Darren Walker, as well as A-list actors and philanthropists Orlando Bloom, Matt Damon, and Ashley Judd. The annual conference, which returned last year after a six-year hiatus, is focused on securing commitments to address climate change, health care, gender-based violence, the war in Ukraine, and other issues.

“Every day, billions of people around the world, even in the face of the most dire circumstances, make a profound decision to choose hope and keep going,” former President Bill Clinton told the Associated Press in an emailed statement last month. “At CGI, we’re focusing on how to move forward in the face of daunting challenges — to act now, find new partners, and stick with it to make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

Pope Francis Pushes Covid Vaccines

From an Ad Council press release dated August 18, 2021 titled "Pope Francis Joins the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s “It’s Up To You” Campaign to Inspire Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines":

"With a Message of Hope and Unity, the Pope and Six Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America are Featured in a New PSA Reaching Global Audiences

"NEW YORK, NY, August 18, 2021 – To continue increasing confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically in communities disproportionately affected by the virus, the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative today announced a new PSA featuring Pope Francis and six Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America. Representing the first ever Ad Council campaign designed for and distributed to a global audience, messaging in the video is delivered in English, Spanish and Portuguese to reach communities worldwide, reminding viewers that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. The new creative, made in cooperation with the Vatican's Dicastery for Integral Human Development, is a part of the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s groundbreaking COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative.

"Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19," Pope Francis says in the PSA. "Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love. I pray to God that each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love, no matter how small, love is always grand."

Recent data shows that the United States has more progress to make with COVID-19 vaccinations in the country. Currently 72% of the American adult population and 67% of Hispanic adults have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose. Worldwide, COVID-19 cases are on the rise, especially across North, Central and South America in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Peru where rates of individuals fully vaccinated range from only 5.5% (Honduras) to 30% (El Salvador). Though access to vaccines continues to be a challenge, confidence in the vaccines also presents a hurdle.

To reach this global audience and instill confidence in the vaccines as part of their broader “It’s Up To You” campaign, the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative are proud to partner on this PSA with His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez Velasco (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes (Mexico City, Mexico), Cardinal [Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga]] (Tegucigalpa, Honduras), Cardinal Claudio Hummes (Sao Paolo, Brasil), Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez (San Salvador, El Salvador) and Archbishop Hector Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte (Trujillo, Perú).

“The role of trusted messengers to educate and inspire their networks is undeniable – and has been a core element of our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative since the beginning,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “To the world’s billion-plus Catholics, the Pope is one of the most trusted messengers and holds unparalleled influence. We are extremely grateful to him and the Cardinals and Archbishops for lending their voices and platforms to help people across the globe feel more confident in the vaccines.”

This project is one of the “It’s Up To You” campaign’s tentpole collaborations with trusted messengers, delivering fact-based and life-saving information to populations hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccines, helping them to make informed decisions for themselves and their families. Other influencers and trusted messengers that have been involved include: former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter; musicians Foreigner, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde and Darius Rucker; actors Wanda Sykes, John Leguizamo, Luis Guzman and Loni Love; athletes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jaren Jackson, Jr., Chester Pitts, Sean Johnson, Preston Wilson, Drew McIntyre and RockyNoHands; faith leaders Bishop TD Jakes, Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Rev. Dr. Walter Kim, Fr. Manuel Dorantes, and Rev. Gabriel Salguero; medical experts Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Tom Frieden, Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, PhD, and Dr. Cameron Webb; and more. To date the effort has engaged over 1,124 influencers to develop 1,638 pieces of content, with a cumulative reach of 50 million.

Given the campaign’s commitment to working with a broad range of trusted messengers, incorporating faith-based and community leaders has been a critical component given their influence and trust in their communities. A National Faith Steering Committee was formed at the onset of the COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative to inform elements of the overall strategy, serve as trusted voices in their communities, help develop resources for other faith leaders nationwide and participate in virtual events. Fr. Manuel Dorantes of the Archdiocese of Chicago, who serves on the Faith Steering Committee, helped identify and implement this opportunity with Pope Francis to extend the Ad Council’s work on a global scale.

“Faith-based leaders and institutions play such a significant role in reminding us of our common humanity,” said John Bridgeland, Co-Founder and CEO of the COVID Collaborative. “With these powerful words from Pope Francis and the Cardinals and Archbishops from across the globe, their message will inspire millions to take action to ‘love thy neighbor’ during this pandemic.”

Developed with production companies LANDIA and Big Star, the content is part of the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, “It’s Up To You.” The overarching creative platform was developed by Pereira O’Dell, with additional campaign assets created by JOY Collective, Alma, iHeartMedia, Group SJR, Values Partnerships and other partners to ensure the American public has the latest and most accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines. To date, the campaign has received $178M in media support and related publicity across all channels, with at least 75% of Americans eligible for the vaccine having seen “It’s Up To You” ads and driving over 8 million sessions to GetVaccineAnswers.org. Of those who visit GetVaccineAnswers.org with concerns, nearly 60% left feeling more confident about getting vaccinated.

In addition to the new PSA, the Ad Council, in partnership with the Eva Longoria Foundation, The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), Unidos US, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Hispanic Federation, and the Justice for Migrant Women, will be hosting a virtual event with various faith leaders to amplify this effort and drive further education on COVID-19 vaccines. Faith leaders include Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect for the Vatican's Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Dr. Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero & Rev. Jeanette Salguero, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Executive Director, Religious Action Center for Reformed Judaism, and Eboo Patel, Founder & President, Interfaith Youth Corps. The event will also feature top medical experts and local community leaders to help address the latest questions around COVID-19 and vaccines.

As the exclusive media partners for the event, Noticias Telemundo and NBC News NOW will stream the virtual event across their digital platforms on YouTube and Facebook on Wednesday, August 25th, 5pm EST. Noticias Telemundo and NBC Nightly News Saturday anchor Jose Diaz-Balart will host the event, hoy Día anchor Nicole Suarez will moderate a medical expert panel, renowned actress/activist Eva Longoria will present the historic PSA message delivered by Pope Francis and the Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America. Maria Cardona, Founder of DSG’s Latinovations and CNN/CNN Espanol Commentator will moderate a Community Leaders Panel, and Values Partnerships Founder and CEO Joshua Dubois will moderate a Faith Leaders panel. Throughout the week of the virtual event, there will be pop-up COVID-19 vaccination sites in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Oregon, where there are currently low vaccination rates within the Hispanic community.

Major media partners, including Facebook, Google/YouTube, Telemundo, Universo, Upward Christian Dating from Match Group and WarnerMedia, among others have committed to providing significant donated media time and space to run and amplify the new PSA assets. Per the Ad Council’s model, the creative will be distributed in the United States where it will run in donated media. The PSA will also be distributed globally to international media, with a focus on Spanish-speaking countries.

Leading contributors to date include Amazon, Apple, Bank of America, Cisco, CVS Health, Facebook, General Motors, Google/YouTube, The Humana Foundation, NBCUniversal/Comcast, Reckitt, Salesforce, Verizon, Walgreens and Walmart. Significant contributions have also been provided by Adobe, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, BNY Mellon, Business Roundtable, Caterpillar Foundation, Citi, Ford Motor Company, Honeywell, JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, Mastercard, the New York Life Foundation, Stanley Black & Decker, Synchrony, Target, Unilever, Wells Fargo and ViacomCBS.

For more information and answers to top questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, visit GetVaccineAnswers.org and DeTiDepende.org.

Conservative Ideology 'Infiltrating' Religious Teaching

Pope Francis said criticism about his "stances on social issues" are unfounded and that he "copies" Pope John Paul II. He further said that "[conservative] ideology is 'infiltrating' the religious teaching of some quarters of the U.S. Catholic Church, and said that in past centuries such infiltrations have led to schisms." His comments were reported at the National Catholic Reporter on September 10, 2019: "The things I say on social matters are the same that John Paul II said. The same. I copy him," said Francis. "They say, 'too Communist pope.'

Here is an excerpt:

"In a press conference aboard the papal flight back to Rome after his three-nation visit to Southern Africa, the pontiff said that while he was unafraid of schism, he was also praying that one would not occur.

"Asked about conservative U.S. Catholic groups that vocally criticize his papacy, the pope said that some critique him for stances on social issues that are identical to the stances taken by his predecessor Pope John Paul II.

""The things I say on social matters are the same that John Paul II said. The same. I copy him," said Francis. "They say, 'too Communist pope.' "

""Ideology is infiltrating doctrine," he said. "And when doctrine slips into ideology, there is the possibility of a schism."

""I pray that there will not be schisms," he said. "But I am not afraid."

"Francis also implied that some conservative Americans who criticize him are hypocrites, saying that while he appreciates those who offer constructive criticism of his pontificate, he does not appreciate those who critique without intending to dialogue.

""If your critique is not right, be prepared to receive a response and have a dialogue, a discussion, to come to a just point," he said. "This is the dynamic of true criticism."

""The criticism of … throwing the stone and then hiding your hand, this does not help," he said, calling it the work of "small, closed-in groups, who do not want to hear the response to the criticism."

"Conservative U.S. Catholic criticism has been a staple of Francis' six-year papacy, with right-wing outlets such as EWTN and First Things taking aim at everything from the pontiff's effort to fight global climate change to his focus on the merciful nature of God."

It's an "honor" to be criticized by "conservative Catholic groups"

In an article posted on Sept 4 2019 Pope Francis was quoted as saying "It's an honor that Americans attack me."

From the article:

"Pope Francis has spoken in unusually frank terms about the theological divide in the U.S. Catholic church, calling it an 'honor' that some conservative Catholic groups in the country continue to criticize his papacy."

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good

According to their Facebook page, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good "promotes the social justice mission of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in US politics, media, and culture."

The website is no longer active, but an archived version states that "Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a non-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the fullness of the Catholic social tradition in the public square." It was reported in Sept 2010 "the organization had closed its offices, ceased the majority of its activities and that staff members had moved on to other jobs."

From the article:

"Catholics in Alliance was accused by bishops and laity of identifying Catholic social teaching with the concerns and agenda of a single political party, and criticized for neglecting the importance of issues such as abortion.

Dr. Liza Cahill of Boston University, a member of CACG's advisory board, explained to CNA in a e-mail that the group "did not cease to exist but did close its offices and most operations. It is in a holding pattern and staff have gone into positions at similar organizations."

CNA confirmed that the group's phone number has been disconnected, with “no further information” provided by the phone company. CACG's former executive director, Alexia Kelley, was named to a position at the Department of Health and Human Services in June 2009. The group's spokesman John Gehring also recently left CACG, according to his current employer Faith in Public Life.

Attempts by CNA to contact CACG's interim executive director, Vicky Kovari, did not result in any response. Although Catholics in Alliance's website remains online, it lists no current staff, and its last blog entry is from June.

CACG became embroiled in a number of controversies that surrounded the 2008 election of Barack Obama and his subsequent presidency. The group strongly supported the passage of national health care legislation that was criticized by the nation's Catholic bishops for lacking conscience provisions and possibly opening the door to federal funding of abortion.

Archbishop Charles Chaput criticized CACG and similar groups in a 2008 speech, saying that in spite of their concerns for social justice, these groups had ultimately harmed both society and the Church.

Such groups, the archbishop explained, typically “seek to 'get beyond' abortion” as a politically divisive issue, “or economically reduce the number of abortions, or create a better society where abortion won’t be necessary.” But these strategies, the archbishop charged, “involve a misuse of the seamless garment imagery in Catholic social teaching,” demoting the issue of an individual's right to life in favor of “other important but less foundational social issues.”

CNA [Catholic News Agency] encountered some difficulties in attempting to ascertain the present status of CACG, particularly in seeking clarification from Chris Korzen, Executive Director of Catholics United.

CNA approached Korzen because he not only co-authored a book with the founder of Catholics in Alliance, but was on the group's payroll as a full-time employee in 2007.

Korzen, however, would not answer questions about the status of Catholics in Alliance, and instead chose to respond to inquiries by asking CNA a series of unrelated questions.

“Can you tell me what the relationship is between CNA and EWTN [Eternal Word Television Network]?” he asked, ignoring a direct question as to whether Catholics in Alliance was now defunct. “What is the relationship between CNA and the Archdiocese of Denver?”

Eventually, Korzen explained his refusal to answer questions about Catholics in Alliance by saying: "It occurs to me that we've never exactly been clear on who you guys are and what your real motivations are. So we're not going to be able to answer any questions until we get some more clarity.”

The director of Catholics United also insisted he was “separate from Catholics in Alliance, so I really can't speak for them anyway.” Korzen received $84,821 in compensation for full-time work for CACG in 2007. In 2008, he explained to Anne Hendershott in a piece for the Catholic Advocate that Catholics United does the “edgier” work.

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good's current president, Morna Murray, will make an appearance this Sunday on "This Is America With Dennis Wholey." The program runs on WHUT, a Washington D.C. public television station, and will air at 6 p.m. Eastern. Murray will be accompanied by the National Education Association's Dennis Van Roekel and American Federation of Teachers' Randi Weingarten.

According to an email published by Wikileaks, John Podesta was involved in the founding of the Soros-funded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

Publicly, the group was founded in 2005 by Alexia Kelley and Tom Perriello.

Redefining Pro-Life

An article dated February 29 2012 by Dave Gibson, of the Religion News Service indicated that Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good published a "nine-page [voter] guide...[which] highlights economic issues as top concerns Catholics should weigh as they consider their vote." According to the article, the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good "...seeks to expand the concept of "pro-life issues" beyond abortion to also include war, euthanasia and poverty."

Appointment of Cardinals

It was reported in Sept 2019 that Pope Francis appointed 13 new cardinals who, "[A]s with the Holy Father’s previous appointments...have a broad geographical scope and are supportive of issues he has prioritized, such as immigration, the environment and dialogue with Islam." His choices "reveal Churchmen supportive of other issues close to his heart, including open migration policies, concern for the environment and populism, a diplomatic rather than realist stance toward Islam, and sympathies for those supportive of homosexual issues." According to the article, "[T]he new cardinals, 10 of whom will be eligible to vote in a conclave, will receive their red hats during a cardinal-making consistory on Oct. 5, the vigil of the Oct. 6-27 Amazonian synod."

"At the top of the list of the 10 new cardinal-electors was Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot. Born in Seville, Spain, the 67-year-old has been president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue since May this year, succeeding the late Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Ayuso secretary (deputy) of the dicastery in 2012, and he has led various interreligious meetings, written numerous books and articles, and speaks a number of languages, including Arabic.

"A former president of the Pontifical Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies in Rome, Bishop Ayuso was heavily involved in drawing up the “Human Fraternity” document signed Feb. 4 by Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, and the Pope in Abu Dhabi. The Vatican called it “an important step forward” and a “powerful sign of peace and hope” between the two religions, but critics have expressed strong reservations about a passage in the document that stated the “diversity of religions” is “willed by God,” arguing that it contradicts a central belief of the Church by relativizing the uniqueness of Christ and the Church.

"Archbishop Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, the archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church only since June 2018, is a Portuguese prelate who has had a meteoric rise. He was a priest virtually unknown outside Portugal until the Pope chose him to preach at his Lenten retreat last year. Born in Madeira in 1965, Archbishop Jose Tolentino de Mendonca has a doctorate in biblical theology, and in 2011 he became a consultor for the Pontifical Council of Culture. Elevated to archbishop upon taking up his current post, he has published numerous volumes and articles of a theological and exegetical nature, as well as several works of poetry.

"But he has also been a controversial figure who wrote the introduction to a book on feminist theology by Sister Maria Teresa Forcada. Dubbed by the BBC as “Europe’s most radical nun” and known for promoting “queer theology,” Sister Maria Teresa is pro-abortion, stridently anti-capitalist and for women’s ordination. In his introduction, Father Jose Tolentino de Mendonca wrote that he believed her “apostolate” should be a model for a Christianity “free” of past and present dogmatic ties and that her value is to have “highlighted the importance of ethical relations free of rigid and codified rules.”

"Archbishop Matteo Zuppi, whom Francis chose to be the surprise successor to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra as archbishop of Bologna in 2015, served as an assistant priest and then parish priest of Rome’s historic Santa Maria in Trastevere parish from 1981 to 2010 and then as assistant ecclesiastical general to the Sant’Egidio lay community in Rome. Benedict XVI appointed him an auxiliary bishop of Rome in 2012.

"Known as a “priest of the streets” for his outreach to the elderly, immigrants, gypsies and drug addicts, he also participated in Sant’Egidio peace initiatives in Africa, in particular its mediations to liberate kidnapped missionaries and its successfully brokered peace deal in Mozambique and Burundi, working with Nelson Mandela. Popular among Italians, he likes to ride around Bologna on a bicycle, and his sensitivity to social issues is thought to bring him close to Francis. During his visit to Bologna two years ago, the Pope was reportedly pleased when the archbishop offered him a lunch with the poor of the city. Many on Italy’s political left received the news of his red hat with great enthusiasm.

"Archbishop Zuppi has drawn criticism for writing an Italian preface to Jesuit Father James Martin’s book Building a Bridge in which he endorsed a new pastoral attitude for so-called “LGBT” Catholics. But Archbishop Zuppi's supporters have told the Register that his position is more nuanced than Father Martin has made it out to be (Father Martin described him as a “great supporter of ‘LGBT’ Catholics”) and that while the archbishop calls for a more sensitive pastoral approach in his foreword, he reasserts the Church’s teaching on the issue and calls faithfully Catholic outreach groups such as Courage “instructive.”

"Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich, a Jesuit who was appointed archbishop of Luxembourg by Benedict XVI in 2011, is also president of the Catholic bishops’ conference in the European Union (COMECE). He has shown himself to be a kindred spirit to Pope Francis on a number of issues. In April, he made headlines by writing in the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica that European populists are playing a “wicked game” by exploiting people’s fears regarding immigration and security. The “drama” of migrants in Europe, he said, was a “disgrace” and that “to remove our fears we are presented with enemies: migrants, Islam, the Jews, etc.” He added that President Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon and Russian political analyst Aleksandr Dugin were the “priests of these populisms that evoke a false pseudo-religious and pseudo-mystical world, denying the heart of Western theology, which is God’s love and love of neighbor.”

"He has expressed his full support for the upcoming Amazon synod, telling a conference promoted jointly by COMECE, REPAM (the Church organization set up in 2014 to prepare the synod) and the German Catholic aid organizations Adveniat and Misereor that the Amazon faces “a global problem which requires a global response.” He added: “We must immerse ourselves in reality, because it is in reality that we find God. And today this reminds us to care for creation, which requires a real revolution in custom, mentality and the economy.” At last year’s youth synod, the archbishop said discernment “is not about black and white, but discovering all the different colors and shades of reality.” A former teacher of seminarians and vocations director, Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich has close links with the Church in Japan, having been a student chaplain and then vice rector at Tokyo’s Sophia University.

"Jesuit Father Michael Czerny, who is the current undersecretary of the migrants and refugees section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, is another Jesuit cardinal-elect whose opinions closely match those of Francis. Born in the former Czechoslovakia in 1946 and a Canadian citizen, Father Czerny has long specialized in social justice and human rights. From 1992 to 2002 he served as secretary for social justice at the Jesuits’ General Curia and afterwards founded and directed the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN). In 2005 he taught in Nairobi, collaborating with Kenya’s bishops’ conference. In 2009, Benedict XVI appointed him an expert at the Synod on Africa.

"Often seen at justice and peace meetings or gatherings involving environmental concerns, Father Czerny’s influence grew when he was appointed a consultor for the now-defunct Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in 2010. There he served, and continues to serve, as a chief adviser to Cardinal Peter Turkson, offering him advice on a wide range of social-justice issues. Francis has often relied on his expertise, making him a member of last year’s youth synod. He is one of the special secretaries of the upcoming Amazon synod and a leading figure in promoting the meeting’s narrative.

"Among the new cardinals “on the peripheries” is Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta, Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim nation (in 2018, according to the CIA Factbook, Catholics numbered 2.9%, or 7.6 million of its population of 263 million people). Born in 1950, he was first appointed as bishop of Semarang by John Paul II in 1997 before Benedict appointed him archbishop of Jakarta in 2010. Considered to be close to the Indonesian state, he was re-elected for an unprecedented third term last year as president of Indonesia’s bishops’ conference because of an “urgent need” (he said he was unsure what the nature of the urgency was). He attended the 2012 Synod on the New Evangelization and the Synods on the Family. Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

"Archbishop Juan de la Caridad Garcia Rodriguez of San Cristobal, Havana, Cuba, has been a bishop since 1997, when Pope St. John Paul II named him auxiliary of Camagüey. He became its archbishop in 2002, and one of his initiatives was to develop evangelization programs in which grandparents, who still remembered their education in Catholicism as children, taught the principles of Catholicism to their grandchildren. He also established prison ministries. He represented Cuba at the 2007 CELAM assembly in Aparecida, Brazil. Francis appointed him archbishop of Havana in April 2016. He has reportedly said he does not want capitalism to come to Cuba, but, rather, “a progressing socialism.”

"As Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa — a former member of Pope Francis’ council of cardinals — turns 80 next month, the Pope has chosen to elevate to cardinal his successor in Kinshasa, Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu. Born in 1960, Archbishop Besungu, who is a Capuchin, will be one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals. He studied partly in Rome, at the Accademia Alfonsiana, where he obtained a degree in moral theology, and has served as the president of the National Assembly of Major Superiors (ASUMA). After being appointed bishop of Bokungu-Ikela in 2005, he was chosen to be president of the Episcopal Commission “Justice and Peace,” after which he became archbishop of Mbandaka-Bikoro in 2016. In June 2016 he became vice president of Congo’s bishops’ conference. Pope Francis named him archbishop of Kinshasa last year.

"Appointed bishop by Pope St. John Paul II in 1989, Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini Imeri, 72, was born in Guatemala City and has long been involved in social-justice issues, especially in the area of protecting the rights of indigenous people. In 2011, he was awarded the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award for his courageous work to empower the poor and marginalized. Previous recipients have included Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa. First ordained bishop in 1989, he was Guatemala’s bishops’ conference president from 2006 to 2008 and took part in the 2007 CELAM assembly in Aparecida where Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio played a leading role. Benedict XVI nominated him as bishop of Huehuetenango in 2012.

"Lastly, the Pope chose Archbishop Cristobal Lopez Romero of Rabat, Morocco, as a new cardinal. Born in 1952 in Vélez-Rubio of the Diocese of Almería in Spain, the Salesian priest studied in Barcelona and obtained a licentiate in information sciences in the city’s School of Journalism in 1982. From 1979 to 1984 he was known for his pastoral ministry toward the marginalized in Barcelona, and from 1983 to 2003 he served as a missionary in Paraguay. From 2011 to 2014, he was head of pastoral parish and school ministry in Kenitra, Morocco, before serving as Salesian provincial in Bolivia from 2011 to 2014. Francis appointed him bishop of Rabat in December 2017.

"The Pope also chose three other Churchmen, over the age of 80, to become cardinals in view of their distinguished “service for the Church:”

"Archbishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald, 82, is a Missionary of Africa (White Father) and a former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue from Walsall, England. After serving as secretary of the dicastery from 1987 (then called the Secretariat for Non-Christians), he was appointed its president in 2002 before Benedict XVI transferred him to become nuncio to Egypt and the Arab League in 2006. The move came as a surprise to some and was read at the time as revealing Benedict's more realist approach to Islam than the more diplomatic tone struck by Archbishop Fitzgerald. Soon after the archbishop’s transfer, Benedict gave his historic Regensburg lecture, which upset parts of the Islamic world. Archbishop Fitzgerald resigned in 2012, having reached the mandatory age limit of 75 for bishops.

"Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius, 81, archbishop emeritus of Kaunas, Lithuania, was arrested in 1983 for anti-Soviet propaganda and spent 10 years in the prison work camps of Perm and Mordovia. Released in 1988 after exile in Siberia, the Jesuit priest was nominated rector of the Interdiocesan Seminary of Kaunas in 1990. He was consecrated auxiliary bishop of Kaunas in 1991 and became its archbishop in 1996. From 1999 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2014 he served as the president of Lithuania’s bishops’ conference. Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop in 2015 on the grounds of age.

"Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso, emeritus of Benguela, Angola, is an Italian prelate who began life as a missionary Poor Servants of Divine Providence priest in 1975, serving first in a province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he remained for 11 years until his transfer to Luanda in Angola, where he dedicated himself to the poorest and weakest of the population. He was first nominated bishop in 1997 as bishop of Saurino before Benedict XVI named him bishop of Benguela in 2008, where he remained until he resigned on reaching the age limit.

"At the Angelus on Sunday, the Pope called on the faithful to “pray for the new cardinals, so, confirming their adherence to Christ, they may help me in my ministry as Bishop of Rome for the good of the entire, holy faithful People of God.”

Communist mentor

"After Pope Francis early in his papacy decried capitalism as “trickle-down economics” — a polemical phrase coined by the left during the Reagan years that Francis frequently borrows — radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh commented, “This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the Pope.” Talk show host Michael Savage called him “Lenin’s pope.” Pope Francis took such comments as a compliment. “I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended,” he told the Italian press.

"Pope Francis grew up in socialist Argentina, an experience that left a deep impression on his thinking. He told the Latin American journalists Javier Camara and Sebastian Pfaffen that as a young man he “read books of the Communist Party that my boss in the laboratory gave me” and that “there was a period where I would wait anxiously for the newspaper La Vanguardia, which was not allowed to be sold with the other newspapers and was brought to us by the socialist militants.”

"The “boss” to whom Pope Francis referred is Esther Ballestrino de Careaga. He has described her as a “Paraguayan woman” and a “fervent communist.” He considers her one of his most important mentors. “I owe a huge amount to that great woman,” he has said, saying that she “taught me so much about politics.” (He worked for her as an assistant at Hickethier-Bachmann Laboratory in Buenos Aires.)

"“She often read Communist Party texts to me and gave them to me to read. So I also got to know that very materialistic conception. I remember that she also gave me the statement from the American Communists in defense of the Rosenbergs, who had been sentenced to death,” he has said. Learning about communism, he said, “through a courageous and honest person was helpful. I realized a few things, an aspect of the social, which I then found in the social doctrine of the Church.” As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he took pride in helping her hide the family’s Marxist literature from the authorities who were investigating her. According to the author James Carroll, Bergoglio smuggled her communist books, including Marx’s Das Kapital, into a “Jesuit library.”

"“Tragically, Ballestrino herself ‘disappeared’ at the hands of security forces in 1977,” reported Vatican correspondent John Allen. “Almost three decades later, when her remains were discovered and identified, Bergoglio gave permission for her to be buried in the garden of a Buenos Aires church called Santa Cruz, the spot where she had been abducted. Her daughter requested that her mother and several other women be buried there because ‘it was the last place they had been as free people.’ Despite knowing full well that Ballestrino was not a believing Catholic, the future pope readily consented.”

"“I must say that communists have stolen our flag. The flag of the poor is Christian,” he said in 2014.

"“Inequality is the root of all evil,” Pope Francis wrote on his Twitter account in 2014.

"Were the 20th-century English Catholic satirist Evelyn Waugh alive today, he would find the radical left-wing political flirtations of Pope Francis too bitterly farcical even for fiction. Could a satirist like Waugh have imagined a pope happily receiving from a Latin American despot the “gift” of a crucifix shaped in the form of a Marxist hammer and sickle? That surreal scene happened during Pope Francis’s visit to Bolivia in July 2015.

"Evo Morales, Bolivia’s proudly Marxist president, offered the pontiff that sacrilegious image of Jesus Christ. Morales described the gift as a copy of a crucifix designed by a late priest, Fr. Luis Espinal, who belonged to the Jesuit order (as does Pope Francis) and had committed his life to melding Marxism with religion. Pope Francis had honored Espinal’s memory upon his arrival in Bolivia.

"Had John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI seen such a grotesque cross, they might have broken it over their knees. Not Pope Francis. He accepted the hammer-and-sickle cross warmly, telling the press on the plane ride back to Rome that “I understand this work” and that “for me it wasn’t an offense.” After the visit, Morales gushed, “I feel like now I have a Pope. I didn’t feel that before.”.

Cuban help

From Representative John B. Larson:

Cuba has perhaps no greater champion than Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, whose unassuming manner and quiet demeanor belie the pivotal role he played in the election of Pope Francis and the pope's eventual meeting with President Barack Obama about Cuba's potential.

Patriarch Kirill connection