Mary's Catholics

Today, April 16, 2013 is the first birthday of Benedict XVI as Pope Emeritus. Happy 86th birthday Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.  (English) Maligayang kaarawan Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. (Filipino) I wish to greet you a Happy Birthday in your own German language, but I don't know the German translation for "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". Thank you and God bless you.

MOTTO OF POPE FRANCIS MISERANDO ATQUE ELIGENDO " Miserando atque eligendo " , meaning lowly but chosen; literally means 'by having mercy, by choosing him' in Latin. Pope Francis chose this motto when he was still a bishop. It was taken from the Homilies of St. Bede the Venerable on the gospel of St. Matthew. It refers to the calling of Matthew, the tax collector to be Christ's apostle. St. Bede explained that Christ saw Matthew with His eyes of mercy and chose him to be His apostle. St. Bede's homily was centered on God's divine mercy and is reproduced in the Liturgy of the Hours on the Feast of St. Matthew. This homily took a special meaning on Pope Francis' young life and his spiritual journey. At the age of 17, on the feast of St. Matthew in 1953, Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis) felt the touch of God's divine mercy and the call to religious life following in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola. MOTTO OF POPE BENEDICT XVI...

What is a coat of arms? Coat of arms is a special design on a shield that identifies and represents a person, family, group or a country. More than just representing or identifying its owner, papal coat of arms symbolizes a pope's primary guiding principles. Coat of Arms of Pope Francis cc image by Poznaniak on Wikimedia Commons On the center of the blue shield of Pope Francis' coat of arms is the emblem of the Society of Jesus , the pope's order of origin. He retained this Jesuit emblem from his episcopal coat of arms. The emblem consists of the radiant yellow sun, inside of which are three red letters "IHS" which is derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus; a cross surmounting the letter H; and three black nails under the letter H. Below the Jesuit emblem, are the yellow star  which represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the  nard flower which represents St. Joseph, patron of the universal church.  The star and th...