The June 2013 printed edition of Newsmax magazine has a wonderful article by Robert Moynihan titled The Three Secrets of Pope Francis. It is worth purchasing the magazine for this article alone. Below are a few very brief excerpts.
His Fidelity to His Grandmother's Faith
Here Robert Moynihan describes in detail the huge influence of the Pope's grandmother on his faith journey.... Indeed he kept a folded text, written by his grandmother, inside his breviary. The text is a short testament left to her grandchildren. It reads: "May my grandchildren, to whom I have given my whole heart, have a long and happy life, but if pain, sickness, or loss of a loved one should fill them with sadness , may they remember that one breath taken at the Tabernacle, where the greatest and most august martyr is present, and one glance at Mary at the foot of the cross, will act like a balm that is able to heal the deepest and most painful wounds.....
His Personal Relationship with Christ
This Pope at the age of 17, while deep in prayer after going to confession, felt he was touched by God. An official Vatican press release recounts that the youth felt he "sensed" the "descent of the Mercy of God". He felt "in a very special way" the "loving presence of God in his life". He felt as if God were gazing upon him "with a look of tender love". These are the elements of a personal experience, of a life transforming experience of God's presence.....
His Christo-centric Faith in Jesus
Pope Francis emphasizes simplicity and humility in his speech as Catholicism's leader frequently stressing a favorite theme: The Church is dependent on the centrality of Christ, not the Pope... On April 22 in Rome speaking speaking in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta where he is living, the Pope said that the only gate to the Kingdom of God, to the church, is Jesus himself, criticizing those who seek to enter the Kingdom by other ways......
Robert Moynihan, Ph.D, is the author of a new book published by Random house: Pray for Me:The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope from the Americas. He is also the founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, and the MoynihanLetters.com
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