Archbishop Gänswein: no disagreement between two popes on Communion for remarried
by Madeleine Teahan
posted Thursday, 22 Jan 2015
Archbishop Ganswein with Pope Francis (Photo: CNS)
Prefect of the papal household gives candid interview about Pope Francis and Benedict XVI
Archbishop George Gänswein, the prefect of the papal household and personal secretary to the pope emeritus, has said there is no disagreement between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis on the question of communion for the divorced and remarried.
In an interview with the German magazine supplement, Christ & Welt, translated by the In Caelo et in Terra blog, Archbishop Gänswein said the notion that there was opposition between the two popes on the subject was “artificial”.
He said: “I do not share that impression. It creates an artificial opposition which does not exist. The Pope is the first guarantor and keeper of the doctrine of the Church and at the same the first shepherd, the first pastor. Doctrine and pastoral care …More

Originally posted on the National Catholic Register website on Dec 27, 2014
Pope Francis, Filtered
by George Weigel Saturday, Dec 27, 2014 6:00 AM
About a year ago, I suggested to one of the top editors of a major American newspaper that his journal’s coverage of things papal left something to be desired, as it seemed based on the assumption that Pope Francis was some kind of radical wild man, eager to toss into the garbage bin of history all those aspects of Catholic faith and practice that mainstream Western culture finds distasteful.
My friend replied, in so many words: “Look, you know how these media narratives are: They’re like bamboo. Once they get started, there’s no stopping them. They just keep growing.”
Alas, he was right. And while there has been a lot of talk about the “Francis Effect,” it’s worth pondering, a little over a week after the Holy Father’s 78th birthday, the “Francis Filtration.”
The Francis Filtration began in earnest during the impromptu press conference on …More

TRANSCRIPT
HARI SREENIVASAN: Now: change at the Vatican.
Pope Francis is ushering in a new era in Rome.
Jeffrey Brown has that.
JEFFREY BROWN: This is the second time Pope Francis has delivered a Christmas message to the world’s Catholics. Almost two years ago, in March of 2013, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first pope from the Americas, the first non-European pope since the year 741.
He was a surprise choice and he has captured the world’s attention ever since. Francis has chosen a simpler lifestyle at the Vatican, residing in a guest house, instead of the Apostolic Palace, forgoing the chauffeured Mercedes in favor a plain black sedan.
He has begun to travel and take a more active role in diplomacy. Last month, he visited Turkey, where thousands of Iraqi and Syrian Christians have fled the forces of the Islamic State. While there, he reaffirmed the use of military force against I.S.
And now we have learned of his key part in shepherding negotiations that led to …More