Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The selection of Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be the new head of the Catholic Church was cause for celebration among local Catholics and at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Orefield.
Bells rang for seven minutes at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Orefield when the white smoke poured out of the Vatican indicating a new pope had been chosen. Actually, the Rev. Kevin Gualano pressed three buttons on a carillon, but the effect was the same -- it sounded as if bells were pealing in jubilation. "Hopefully, it didn't wake any babies up," said Monsignor Robert Wargo, who was at the church. The new pope is an Argentinian cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, who has chosen the name Pope Francis. Gualano, who watched the live coverage on the Vatican website, said he felt God had answered his prayers when Bergoglio was selected. "I asked God to send us a man of humilty, somebody the world didn't know so we could start fresh," …
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
What do Catholics in South Whitehall want in the next pope as cardinals meet and cast secret ballots in Rome this week?
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Tuesday, March 12
Cardinals have begun meeting in Rome to select a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. Fox News reports: Cardinals held their final closed-door debate Monday over whether the church needs more of a manager to clean up the Vatican's bureaucratic mess or a pastor to inspire the 1.2 billion faithful in times of crisis. What kind of pope do you think the Catholic Church needs? Vote in our poll and add your comments below. The conclave of cardinals includes 115 clergy under age 80 who will vote in secrecy. The process could take several days with no clear front runner evident, according to a Huffington Post-Reuters report. Seventy-seven votes are needed for victory. The cardinals—known as "Princes of the Church"—won't emerge from their seclusion …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Allentown Bishop John Barres says Pope Benedict XVI has 'Inspired the world.'
"Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign on February 28 is "an act of great courage and humility," Allentown Diocese Bishop John Barres said in a statement issued Monday. What's your reaction to the Pope's announcement? What has been the impact of his papacy? Tell us in the comments section below. Barres noted that the Pope's decision to step down due to failing health came on -- not coincidentally -- the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and World Day of the Sick. "His contemplative serenity and radiant joy as the Vicar of Christ has inspired the entire world," said Barres, who leads 270,000 Catholics across the Allentown Diocese including about 67,000 in Lehigh County and 76,000 in Northampton County. Barres recalled fondly a fleeting …
Vote Black Pope
10:55 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
an African Pope is needed during these times more ›