The Catholic Sun

“Pope Francis has been a tireless shepherd, leading the Church with compassion and humility. In this time of illness, we lift him up in prayer, asking the Lord to grant him strength and healing. May the Blessed Mother, whom he so deeply loves, intercede for his swift recovery. As a global family of faith, we stand united in hope and trust in God’s providence.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' "clinical condition remains critical but stable" and the "prognosis remains guarded," the Vatican's evening bulletin said Feb. 25. The 88-year-old pope, who has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14, has had no recurrence of "acute respiratory episodes," the Vatican said. The "hemodynamic parameters" that measure heart health "continue to be stable," the bulletin said.

The faithful throughout the Diocese of Phoenix continue to join their brethren across the globe in praying for the recovery of Pope Francis from severe respiratory health problems. “We’re all praying,” said Dcn. Roy Drapeau of Ss. Simon and Jude parish in Phoenix. The Vatican Monday night reported the pope’s condition had improved slightly, with “no new episodes of asthma-like respiratory distress.” Vatican News also stated doctors at Gemelli Hospital in Rome had slightly reduced the pope’s oxygen flow and levels and that his test results had improved. The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized Feb. 14. He was treated for bronchitis and later pneumonia in both lungs. 

One at a time, Bishop John Dolan called out categories of marriage by length: Couples in their first year, their first five years, 25-40 years and 50 years or more. When he got to those wedded more than a half century, Jay and Mary Sue Krakora got up. Together 55 years, the couple from Mesa, where they are parishioners of St. Timothy, had planned to celebrate their 50th anniversary at a similar event but it was cancelled by the COVID 19 pandemic. Marking their latest milestone during the Diocese of Phoenix’s Honoring Marriage Mass Sunday was the icing on the Krakoras’ cake, as they enjoyed their delayed celebration and were recognized with hundreds of other Catholic spouses. 

“They get to experience the excitement... and they get to hear about what’s awaiting them as Christians.”   Becoming fully initiated into the Catholic Church is a beautiful process marked by formation as well as special liturgical celebrations, including the Rite of Election. Those who will be receiving sacraments at the Easter Vigil anticipate this rite, which will be taking place next month. More than 2,000 catechumens are expected to attend. 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "Being ordained is not an ascent but a descent, whereby we make ourselves small, lower ourselves and divest ourselves," Pope Francis said in a message to 23 men from eight countries, including three from the United States, who were ordained permanent deacons in St. Peter's Basilica. The Feb. 23 ordination Mass at the Vatican was the culmination of a three-day Holy Year celebration that drew thousands of deacons, plus their wives and others, from more than 100 countries to Rome for communal prayer, discussion and celebration of the diaconate.

It was welcome news when Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee Year. In his Bull of Indiction, “Spes non confundit: Hope does not disappoint,” which announced the Jubilee Year and its themes, the pope wrote, “every effort should be made to enable the People of God to participate fully in its proclamation of hope in God’s grace and in the signs that attest to their efficacy.”  That grace and proclamation of hope can be experienced through the many programs and individuals the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) supports, including the 50 young men who are part of the groundbreaking new and fully local Nazareth Seminary in the Diocese of Phoenix. 

Lent is a sacred time in the liturgical calendar, a season set aside for intentional spiritual growth. With its emphasis on prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, Lent invites Catholics to adopt practices that challenge us to step outside our everyday routines and grow closer to Christ. These practices, when embraced authentically, provide repeated opportunities to deny ourselves in order to live more fully in Him.

Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) trains, educates and organizes people on the margins to become leaders and advocate for themselves. As a local non-partisan interfaith organization, VIP is committed to building relationships and organizing people for sustainable, social and economic improvement. An avenue of this work involves partnering with Catholic parishes within the Diocese of Phoenix. St. Louis the King in Glendale, Ariz., and St. Francis Xavier in Phoenix are two parishes that are working with VIP particularly to meet the needs of their migrant communities.  

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After undergoing a CT scan Feb. 18, Pope Francis was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, the Vatican said. "The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon," the Vatican bulletin said, "demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy." "Laboratory tests, chest X-rays and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture," the evening bulletin said.