Francis cold calls an Italian television show, Unomattina

“In this world where money is worshiped as the God, may Christmas helps us to look at the smallness of this God [the Christ-child] who has overturned the worldly values. I wish you a Holy Christmas, and happy, so happy Christmas. Hugs to all!”
— Francis to Italians on Unomattina —

Francis telephones ‘Unomattina’ (One Morning)

Video excerpt from Rai Play, Gli auguri di Papa Francesco a Unomattina

full video can be found at Rai Play, Unomattina, St 2016/17 Puntata del 22/12/2016.

• The official Vatican transcript of Francis’ telephone call

Calling a television talk show must now be ‘tradition’ since Francis is only following in the footsteps of his predecessors Saint John Paul the Great and Benedict XVI!

John Paul II calls Italian television program ‘Porta a Porta’ (Door to Door) on 13 October 1998

Benedict XVI teleconferences with Italian television program ‘A Sua Immagine’ (In His Own Image) 22 April 2011

• Official Vatican transcript of Benedict XVI’s television teleconference

The day John Podesta, ‘spiritual cooking’ aficionado and lover of ‘pizza’, met the future saint, John Paul II

Above one can see the sick man, John Podesta, meeting the future saint, John Paul II at the Vatican City with serial rapist, Bill Clinton.

Reflections on the Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II

APRIL 28, 2014 AT 11:34 AM ET BY JOHN PODESTA

I am writing from Rome, where Congressman Xavier Becerra, the President’s Director of Legislative Affairs Katie Beirne Fallon, and I had the honor of serving as the Presidential Delegation to the Holy See. Yesterday, we, along with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Kenneth Hackett and his wife Joan, attended the historic canonization Mass for Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.

In different ways, John XXIII and John Paul II defined what it meant to be Catholic in the 20th century. Their influence and their example as men of humility, compassion, service, and faith provide profound lessons to people around the world.

Pope John XXIII took leadership of the Church around the time I took my First Communion, at St. Edward’s Parish on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Seventy-six years old when he was elected, there were few who imagined the former Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli as a revolutionary. But the man we know today as il Papa buono, the Good Pope, was not content to let the Church go on as it always had.

By convening the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII built a radically more inclusive Catholic Church, and he himself became a symbol of change and of the power of faith. John spoke to the faithful in simple terms, and addressed his last encyclical, Pacem in Terris — Peace on Earth — to “all men of good will.” The Second Vatican Council drove profound changes in the practice of the Catholic faith. Because of Pope John XXIII, the Mass is celebrated in vernacular languages, rather than in inaccessible Latin. Because of Pope John XXIII, the priest faces his congregation during services. These aren’t cosmetic changes. They go to the heart of how millions of people practice their faith, and profoundly impact how they feel about their lives.

Where Pope John XXIII brought the laity deeper into the heart of the Church, Pope John Paul II helped bring the Church to the world. During his long papacy, John Paul visited 129 countries and touched the hearts of millions, and particularly inspired and deepened the faith of young people around the world. From his fight against Communism to his outspoken opposition to apartheid to condemning the Rwandan genocide, Pope John Paul II was a courageous and outspoken leader.

As a Catholic, and as an American, it has been a deeply humbling experience to be in Rome for the canonization Mass. It was an amazing, breathtaking moment to be 100 feet from Pope Francis as he embraced Pope Benedict at the beginning of the Mass. It seems appropriate, upon reflection, that it was Pope Francis who canonized both John and John Paul. As the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis has inspired people around the world with his inclusiveness, his conviction, and his deep and profound care for the neediest among us. As the first Jesuit Pope, he is truly a man for others. I had the honor of being received by the Pope, shaking his hand, exchanging a few words and basking in his broad smile. It is a memory I will forever carry deep in my heart.

source: whitehouse.gov, Reflections on the Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II

Related:

• Surprise, surprise!

• Team Hillary members — Sandy Newman and John Podesta plot ‘Catholic Spring’

• A cardboard cut-out of Francis shows up at John Podesta’s “pizza party”

• Donald Trump's message to Catholics and who exactly is Hillary’s campaign manager, John Podesta?

Happy Saint John Paul II Day!

15 Great Moments of Saint John Paul II courtesy of Jim Smith

...and a few photos too!

(click to enlarge)

John Paul II & the Mark of Shiva