Let’s hope CBS News doesn’t object to my reposting the entire story, Pope pays for homeless to see Shroud of Turin by Anna Matranga. There has never been a shroud exposition like this one.
ROME — A bus was carrying 42 homeless people Wednesday from Rome to see the Shroud of Turin, regarded by many to be the sacred burial cloth of Jesus Christ, and Pope Francis was picking up the tab.
The group included not just Catholics but also Orthodox Christians and Muslims. What they have in common is that they all frequent a soup kitchen run by the Santa Lucia parish, near the Vatican.
Don Pablo Castiglia, deputy parish priest, was traveling with the group, along with seven volunteers. He said after the parish had organized the trip, the pope’s almoner, Bishop Konrad Krajewski, announced that Francis wanted to contribute money to cover the expenses.
Krajewski used donations given to the pope for his personal charities to help fund the trip.
"There’s an atmosphere of great interest" among the travelers, said Castiglia, adding that the group was being prepared during the bus trip with a video explaining the shroud.
Krajewski was there Wednesday morning when the homeless boarded the bus to Turin. According to Castiglia, Krajewski gave each person a small sum of pocket money, calling it a "caress" from Pope Francis.
The group was to spend Wednesday night in Catholic shelters in Turin, and then visit the shroud Thursday morning.
Next week a second group, about 70 poor and homeless, was to make the same journey. Krajewski told an Italian newspaper that the two groups "will prepare the way for the pope’s visit. His poor will arrive before him."
Pope Francis is to venerate the shrine on June 21.
Francis’ concern for and outreach to the poor has been a hallmark of his papacy.
He has had showers and barber facilities builtunder the colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica for the exclusive use of the homeless.
For several years in a row he has chosen to celebrate his own birthday with Italy’s impoverished. Homeless people have had dinner in the Vatican museum and sat at the best seats in the house at a Vatican concert.
One homeless man has even been buried in a cemetery inside the Vatican under Francis’ tenure, which for centuries had been a final resting place only for royalty and luminaries.
That is a very Charitable Pope… The Homeless are like royalty, “What ever you have done unto the least of these you have done unto me” He has true Charity and I envy those homeless people they are not missing out on anything.
Hope all Christians undersatand the real meaning of the Parable of “Goats and Sheep” rather than preaching about “Grace”. Actually “Grace” is foriegn concept to the ministry of Jesus.
2 Corinthians, Chapter 12, verses 8-9:
(Paul’s Thorn and God’s Grace)
…8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
Paul, telling us the words of Jesus…..
Thank you Nabber
Yes Paul says this. But Jesus said the Parable of Goats and Sheep the criteria to Judge on the Judgement Day.
There is a big difference between what Jesus says and what Paul says. In this sort situation I always give the priority to the words of Son of God. Yes Naber you can give priority to Paul. That is up to you.
Sampath, the entire New Testament is inspired by God. If Matthew says that Jesus said something, the words of the Son of God, we take it as truth. If Paul says that Jesus said something, the words of the Son of God, we take that as truth also. There is no priority. This is mainstream Catholic and Protestant theology.
Nabber: the entire New Testament is inspired by God.
Hope you know that Paul wrote that.
My role model is Jesus and I am always following him.
This reminded me of good Father Francis O’Leary, with whom I had some contact, whose hospices look after poor terminal patients looking for a place to die as peacefully as possible. Ian Wilson told me about the trouble the priest had while trying to raise funds to buy the Thornton home during an auction and the good work he was doing, during an interview on the Shroud.
http://www.jospice.org.uk/about-us/father-oleary.aspx
This lucky people was able to see the Holy Shroud thanks to the Holy Father!
Pope Francis contributed money to cover the expenses.
Thus, the struggle against the evil of this world began …
See also today’s visit (by the Pope) in Sarajevo.
= Pope Francis visits Sarajevo, ‘Jerusalem of Europe’
Link:
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/06/europe/bosnia-pope-francis-visit/