Mary's Catholics

cc photo by presidencia.gov.ar on Wikimedia Commons - Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Flores, Buenos Aires, Argentina. - His father, Mario Jose Bergoglio who worked as an accountant in the railways was an Italian immigrant from Portacomaro, in the Asti Province of Italy. He left Italy to escape the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. His mother, Regina Maria Sivori, who was also of Italian origin, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. - Pope Francis is the eldest of five children. Of his siblings, only his sister Maria Elena is still living. - He had his elementary studies at a Salesian school in Ramos Mejia. He attended the technical secondary school at the Escueta Nacional de Educacion Tecnica. He graduated with honors in Chemistry. - He felt that he was called to the priesthood on the feast of St. Matthew on September 21, 1953 at the age of sixteen. He studied at the Inmaculada Concepcion Seminary in Villa Devoto, Bue...

Good news to all Catholics around the world. At the consistory (a meeting where the Pope and the College of Cardinals discuss about the causes of beatification and canonization) held at the Vatican on September 30, 2013, Monday, Pope Francis announced that Blessed Popes John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonized on April 27, 2014, second Sunday of Easter which is the feast of the Divine Mercy. On the light of their upcoming canonization, here are some few significant and interesting facts about Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. - Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II have one thing in common. Both popes have become Time Magazine 's "Man of the Year" . Pope John XXIII became "Man of the Year" in 1962, while Pope John Paul II became "Man of the Year"  in 1994. - Blessed John XXIII became Pope at the age of nearly 77 in October of 1958, while Blessed John Paul II was 58 years old when he was elected as Pope in October of 1...

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...