Pope Francis | A Pastor's Thoughts

Tag Archives: Pope Francis

September 24, 2015 · 10:10 am

Contemplatives Go Mainstream

A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.

——Pope Francis Address to Congress

I am sure that the address of Pope Francis was viewed by millions of people, as well as witnessed by a joint session of the US Congress. In it he affirmed four Americans of great note. Among them was Thomas Merton whom he identified as a contemplative. Such an affirmation will cause people to be curious about contemplative life. Praise God for this man and his willingness to share his bold beliefs with the world. We contemplatives are now part of the mainstream media.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Why Pope Francis Cited Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton (time.com)
Text of Pope Francis’ speech to the United States Congress (wcvb.com)

2 Comments

Filed under contemplative, Pope Francis, Thomas Merton

Tagged as Abraham Lincoln, Americans, Contemplative living, Dorothy Day, Israelites, Joint session of the United States Congress, Jr., Martin Luther King, Pope, Pope Francis, The Star-Spangled Banner, Thomas Merton, United States

February 10, 2014 · 1:19 pm

The Pope and the Rolling Stone

The dream of every rising rock star is to one day make the cover of the Rolling Stone. I seriously doubt that the Pope ever expected this or is fully aware of the profound cultural implication. I, for one, think it speaks volumes for his ministry. I pray that he will continue to go to the the world with his message. Today,I am going to buy a copy of the Rolling Stone. The first one I’ve purchased since college. (nearly forty years)