Pope Francis Inauguration Mass (Full Video)

Here's the complete video of the Mass of Inauguration of Pope Francis, installed as the 266th Bishop of Rome:

Pope Francis Homily (Video and Text)

Here is the homily of Pope Francis, Mass of Inauguration:



Here's a transcript of the text.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife" (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: "Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model" (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to hear God's voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God's call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a "protector", however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are "Herods" who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

"We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!"

That's the vibe I pick up from Pope Francis - tenderness.

Pope Francis explains that he has power but it's grounded in service. We're called to protect the poor and weak.

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

Want hope and change?

Go to Mass. Walk with God.

Pope Francis Installation Mass: Live Stream

Watch a live stream of the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis.

What a beautiful blue sky!

Joe Biden is leading the U.S. delegation. Nancy Pelosi is joining him.

These Catholics are Democrats, deathmongers, first and foremost. They support the slaughter of the unborn, the most weak, vulnerable, and innocent. They've spent their political careers promoting the culture of death.

Can they be forgiven, considering they know what they do?

Pope Francis: Celebrity Tweets

Some celebrities chose to take to Twitter to trash the Catholic Church when it was announced that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina would be the next pope.

Breitbart's Big Hollywood pointed out some of the ugly tweets.

A few examples:

W. Kamau Bell

The Catholic Church should do this new pope thing once or twice a year. It is really a great distraction from all the kid rape. #Conclave
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 13, 2013

How do we know that the black smoke doesn't mean that they are burning the black cardinals? #GottaAsk #TheyHaveDoneWorse #Conclave
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 13, 2013

Albert Brooks

The new Pope came out on the balcony, saw his shadow, and realized there was six more centuries of scandals.

— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) March 13, 2013

Michael Ian Black

It would be kind of funny if the new pope has a heart attack when he comes out.

— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) March 13, 2013

Please Lord, let the new pope's first words to the assembled be, "Can you believe this shit?"

— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) March 13, 2013

What's Latin for "bring me some boys"?

— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) March 13, 2013

Liz Phair

We have a pope! We have a pope! Hahahahahahaha. So exciting these medieval rituals in modern times. #keepinitfresh

— Liz Phair (@PhizLair) March 13, 2013

What slime!

I doubt these people have the guts to trash Islam the way they do Catholicism.

Jimmy Fallon: Vatican TV (Video)

There's a lot of Pope-related reality TV out there: ow.ly/iVuvW #ClergyShore #KeepingUpWithTheCorinthians

— Late Night (@LateNightJimmy) March 14, 2013

Here's video of Wednesday night's cold open to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:



Vatican TV reports that a new pope has been chosen after white smoke is seen coming from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.

Coming up later in the week, all new episodes of:

"Clergy Shore"

"Keeping Up With the Corinthians"

"Wafer Swap"

"The Big Bang is Just a Theory"

Without question, Catholics have endured more ridicule in the past month on "comedy" shows than Obama has in the past four or five years.

Pope Francis

"Habemus Papam!"

We have a Pope!

On March 13, 2013 the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name of Pope Francis, as our next Holy Father.

Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki and Auxiliary Bishop Donald J. Hying both express great joy in the announcement:

“With joy in our hearts and gratitude to God, we give thanks for our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, "said Archbishop Listecki. "May the Holy Spirit guide him in his ministry to the Universal Church as the Spirit guided the College of Cardinals in his election as pope. As the Archbishop of Milwaukee, I pledge to Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, my love and support, along with the prayers of the entire Church of southeastern Wisconsin.”

"With great hope and joy, we thank Almighty God for our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, as he begins his Petrine ministry," said Bishop Hying. "We pledge our prayers and support to him, as he continues the challenging but fruitful task of shepherding the universal Church. Amidst the challenges of rising secularity, materialism, violence and poverty, the voice, example and leadership of Pope Francis will continue to call the world to the light of Christ, the One who offers everyone peace and salvation."

"What an exciting time for us, as we join fellow believers around the world in proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord with fresh enthusiasm, in union with our new Holy Father."

As a Catholic, I don't like a lot of what's being said in the media about Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. I don't like the public dissection of the Holy Father. I don't like hearing non-Catholics pass judgment on his selection.

"He's 76. That's bad!"

"He's from Latin America. That's good!"

"He's anti-abortion. That's VERY bad!"

Blah, blah, blah.

Will the media rip him to shreds like they did to Pope Benedict, the "Nazi pope" and "God's Rottweiler"?

The anti-Catholic contingent will no doubt find a way. He's the enemy, unless he declares abortion to be a choice. He's the enemy, unless he declares that women should be priests. He's the enemy, unless he declares his support for gay marriage.

Forget the fact that he's a man of great faith and conviction and humility. His Latin American connection will probably score him some points, but not for long.

He does need our prayers.

I heard Archbishop Jerome Listecki give some interesting perspective on the weight of being chosen as pope. He said it's not an election, it's a "sentence." The pope sits in the throne of the Cross of Jesus. It's not a throne of glory. It's not an easy role to assume.

Personally, I am thrilled with the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as our new pope.

I love the name he selected.

In choosing to call himself Francis, the new pope was associating himself with the much-loved Italian saint from Assisi associated with peace, poverty and simplicity. St. Francis was born to a wealthy family but later renounced his wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars; he wandered about the countryside preaching to the people in very simple language.

He was so famed for his sanctity that he was canonized just two years after his death in 1226.

St. Francis Xavier is another important namesake. One of the 16th century founders of the Jesuit order, Francis Xavier was a legendary missionary who spread the faith as far as India and Japan - giving the new pope's name selection possibly further symbolic resonance in an age when the church is struggling to maintain its numbers.

I hope there will be a resurgence of faith among Latin American Catholics in the U.S.

I hope they will reconsider their support for officials aligned with the culture of death.





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Video from FOX 6 News, of Archbishop Listecki's reaction to the election of Pope Francis.

Audio of Archbishop Listecki discussing Pope Francis with Jerry Bott, sitting in for Mark Belling. The interview begins at 4:20.