The Paraclete Special Issue

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The

Special Issue

“Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by our tears.”

PARACLETE Parish of the Holy Spirit, BF Homes, Quezon City

February 2015

“If we take away the poor from the Gospel,we cannot understand Jesus’ message.”

Pope Francis’ Homilies and Speeches FROM JANUARY 15 to 19, 2015, Pope Francis was in the Philippines for a Pastoral visit. This Special Issue of The Paraclete, which is a project of the Parish Pastoral Council, seeks to present to its readers a keepsake of the Pope’s Homilies and Speeches. It is hoped that we all continue to be mindful of the lessons that our dear Pope has imparted to us during his visit and that we may be inspired to follow our Lord’s way through his leadership. All photos and texts were downloaded from local news portals and foreign sites. STATEMENT OF POPE FRANCIS AT HIS COURTESY CALL Malacanang Palace, Manila (16 January 2015) Ladies and gentlemen: I thank you, Mr. President, for your kind welcome and for your words of greeting in the name of the authorities and people of the Philippines, and the distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps. I am most grateful for your invitation to visit the Philippines. My visit is, above all, pastoral. It comes as the Church in this country is preparing to celebrate the fifth centenary of the first proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on these shores. The Christian message has had an immense influence on Filipino culture. It is my hope that this important anniversary will point to its continuing fruitfulness and its potential to inspire a society worthy of the goodness, dignity, and aspirations of the Filipino people. In a particular way, this visit is meant to express my closeness to our brothers and sisters who endured the suffering, loss and devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda. Together with many people throughout the world, I have admired the heroic strength, faith and resilience demonstrated by so many Filipinos in the face of this natural disaster, and so many others. Those virtues, rooted not least in the hope and solidarity instilled by Christian faith, gave rise to an outpouring of goodness and generosity, especially on the part of so many of the young. In that moment of national crisis, countless people came to the aid of their neighbors in need. At great sacrifice,


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The Paraclete Special Issue by Emmanuel Tamase - Issuu