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 Pope Francis boards the plane on July 22 for Brazil -- with a single carry-on bag.
July 22nd, 2013
10:47 AM ET
Pope Francis embarks on historic trip to Brazil, where protesters awaitBy Eric Marrapodi and Miguel Marquez, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) – For the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, a Latin-American pope will touch down on his own continent on Monday. Pope Francis, the 76-year-old Argentine, begins his first apostolic visit Monday in Brazil, home to the world’s largest Catholic population. The pope will be participating in World Youth Day, a weeklong celebration aimed at revitalizing young Catholics, and the church, here and around the world. Organizers said 400,000 pilgrims from around the world had registered, though the crowds are expected to be much larger as people try to catch a glimpse of the pontiff known as the “people’s pope.” Many of the events with the pope will be open to the public and not just the pilgrims. Francis arrives in Brazil at a touchy time. Social unrest has been brewing here in Rio and across the country for weeks. Protesters have rallied, sometimes violently, against a lack of government services and problems with public transportation and corruption. The Rev. Marcio Queiroz, a World Youth Day spokesman in Brazil, said there are some security concerns but that the protesters also represent "a face of God." World Youth Day organizers say the final tab for the trip could cost as much as 350 million reals ($156 million) with pilgrims picking up 70 percent of the tab. More than 20,000 jobs related to the event will be created, according to the organizers, who estimated that the festivities could add more than half a billion reals ($222 million in U.S. dollars) to Brazilian coffers. A wide variety of protesters will try to use the pope’s visit to draw attention to their causes over the course of the week. A gay rights group is staging a kiss-in along the route where Francis is scheduled to drive through the city in an open-topped "popemobile." The pope’s choice to use a popemobile without bulletproof glass has caused security concerns. Brazil’s Gen. Jose Abreu, who is overseeing the papal visit, said “the bulletproofing would lessen our worries.” But, he conceded, “it’s a personal choice and we’ll respect it, but it’s not remotely pleasant for security forces.” The Brazilian government has deployed thousands of security forces to protect the pontiff. WATCH: Brazil prepares for Pope Francis' arrival The pope carried his own luggage as he boarded the papal plane in Rome bound for Rio De Janeiro. Aboard the plane to Rio, the pope spoke briefly with reporters and did not take questions. "The global crisis has brought nothing good to young people. I saw the data on youth unemployed last week. We run the risk of having a generation without work," Francis said. He told reporters he hoped to engage in dialogue on the issue during his trip. As the sun rose over Copacabana Beach on Monday, workers furiously hammered, sawed, and painted the main stage ahead of the pope’s arrival. The massive stage is being built 100 yards away from the crashing waves. Giant screens and speakers line the beach for more than a mile from the main stage. “We've been fund-raising for a year now and it's just amazing. God's work has brought us here, and it's such an amazing feeling,” said Sarah Butler, a Catholic pilgrim from Austin, Texas.
On Tuesday the stage will play host to the welcoming Mass for pilgrims from around the world. The pope will greet the pilgrims Thursday on the beach. World Youth Day takes place every two years and was planned long before the pope’s election in March. Shortly after his election, Francis confirmed he would be attending the event, and then added many stops to the papal agenda that had been prepared for his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. While in Brazil, the pope will visit one of the world’s biggest shrines to the Virgin Mary, who is revered here; visit a hospital for recovering drug addicts; hear confessions from juvenile prisoners; and visit a slum known as a favela. READ MORE: Singing priests revive Catholic Church in Brazil Brazil is home to an estimated 123 million Catholics, but that population has dropped significantly in the last few decades. In the 1970s, census data showed the country was over 90% Catholic. In 2010 Catholics made up 65% of the population, as the numbers of evangelical Protestants and religiously unaffiliated Brazilians grew by large margins. Datafolha, one of Brazil's leading research companies, put the percentage of Catholics in Brazil at 57% in a new survey on religious affiliation released on Sunday. CNN's Barbara Arvanitidis and CNN contributor John Allen contributed to this report.
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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I am SO sick of seeing these types of stories in the "Belief" "blog" – ! As if everything must revolve around some sort of woo-woo belief. It doesn't.
I think that's why it's called the Belief Blog...
Hey Jeff YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!
Our comunity sent 100 young adults to Rio this past week including 2 of my kids who are old enough to attend.. AMAZING trip for a generation of youung peope facing so many obstacles and so much inmoral attacks from society. They will be evangelizing in the streets of Rio and Sao Paulo. God Bless them!! God bless the Pope!! We will prevail! The Catholic church will prevail!! God always wins!!
You claim that your children are under moral attacks from society, and then you proclaim they are going to be street evangelizing, which is an immoral act.
Is it moral to go around proclaiming all these things about a god that no one has ever been able to show the existance of? Sounds very irresponsible to me.
gods been getting his behind handed to him ever since satan took charge. At least thats what I got out of that silly book of yours.
I will be there LOL
If god existed, he would especially hate Christians.
A book written by men with only certain chapters included. What about the other chapters selective believing?
God Bless u Pope Francis!
This Pope seems like a good guy, interested in cleaning up the corruption in the RCC. I wonder if he was selected Pope to help the RCC compete with the evangelicals. The evangelicals have been growing faster than the RCC . Is this Pope's "man of the people" approach (which I think is sincere) what is needed to appeal to the biggest growth potential, poor in Africa and Asia?
As an atheist, I prefer Catholicism to evangelical/fundamentalism, the Catholic church while having some rough spots with science, arts, and literature in the past has made strong efforts to co-exist with the science/educated community (they were some of the best scientists, writers, artists, etc). Evangelical/fundamentalists have decided to battle education, arts and science itself and try to politically impose their rules on the rest of society. Strange, but I'm rooting for the Catholics.
There's not like button on here 🙂 I've often wondered why there aren't more atheists like you. I'm sure there are. You're are correct, some of the best scientists, writers, artists, etc were and are Catholics. Some of the best minds the world has ever known, some could argue. I worked in S. America and saw the evangelical missionaries at work, coming to save the poor heathen Catholics. I have to admit I had some pretty unchristian thoughts about them, especially when they would ask what church I belonged to and then would abruptly stop talking to me. I wanted to tell them to take their American Protestant bigotry back to the U.S. (I'm American) but I was too kind. Anyway, thanks for rooting for us. Yes, we Catholics are a bit odd, we're not too popular with atheists but I would venture we're much better than evangelicals.
You nailed it, buddy.
If he is so concerned about the poor, how about donating a bit of the Vatican's untold wealth?
He has to save it for the settlements from the pedophile scandal.
Why not do a little research and post for us how much Catholics actually do spend on the poor and social services. I'll make it easy for you, just list the cash. No need to value the volunteer hours.
@ Bill Deacon
Hello, liar.
Why don't you tell us how many state of the art hospitals Mother Teresa built with money donated to the RCC for charitable purposes? You know, the millions she bilked from such outstanding citizens as Charles Keating, Robert Maxwell and Jean-Claude Duvalier.
When you call someone a liar, it would help those of us following to actually see what you think he is lying about.
He can't. It's just a character assassination he uses before he segues into the age old attacks.
Bill Deacon has misrepresented and flat out lied about a few of my posts. He also poses questions and then runs away when he can't figure out a response. All you really have to do is scroll up or down, or go to any blog about the pope or the RCC.
Bill, it's not a character assassination to state that you have lied about or changed what I've said because you have.
Now, answer the question:
How many state of the art hospitals did Mother Teresa build with the millions of dollars that were contributed to her organization to be used for charitable purposes?
Hint: It's a round number.
Blah, blah, blah. It's all silliness.
The "beliefs" spread by the Catholic Church are not serving the betterment of humanity.
God Bless you Darlene. For you have much to learn!
Do you mean like the belief that workers are due a just wage, or that wealthy nations have an obligation to the poor, or that the sick and unborn have human dignity, or that the death penalty is inhumane, or that seexual propriety is healthy? Those kinds of beliefs?
No, I think he meant the belief that suffering is a "kiss from Jesus", that women can't make decisions about their own bodies, that the RCC's wealth, power and reputation are more important than doing what is right, and that children are there for the pleasure of the clergy.
"she", not "he"
You show your ignorance and bigotry every time you post doobs.
What about my post is ignorant or bigoted, Bill?
Wow, talk about a trumped up headline. You would think people were actually going to protest the Pope, but no, they have been and are protesting the government and the Pope's presence is coincidental. CNN, quit trying to make headlines sound like something other than they are.
Nick – my thoughts exactly!
The real story will be next week after the pope's homily.
Why? Is he finally going to tell us the truth about why the RCC keeps hiding pedophiles and what goes on in the Vatican Bank?
Is that nice Italian leather bag, or perhaps Argentine leather?
The concept of religious belief in a god gets more ridiculous every day
The catholic church is soo full of sheet.
GO POPER GO
since no religion prophesied the invention of the internet, can there exist a true god?
In a word, no.
The Internet is God.
Yes....Daniel 12:4 says, But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (KJV)
GOD is not religion and He did foretell about about increase of knowledge at the end of days and people will be running to and from more increasingly ( airplanes/cars/mass transport) etc,..please educate yourself first about Bible prophecy before yous ay something.
Oh, please. The bible's "prophecies" are about as valid as the local psychic's.
"Knowledge will increase" – Humans are curious and seek knowledge about themselves and the natural world. The people 2000 years ago knew more than the people 5000 years ago. We know more now than the people 2000 years ago. Not a prophecy.
"There will be wars and rumors of wars" – When in the history of mankind has there not been groups of people fighting each other or talking about fighting some other group. Not a prophecy.
"You will be persecuted in my name" – The idea of what persecution is ranges from being laughed at to being killed. Religious groups have done this to each other long before Jeebus. Not a prophecy.
"The wisdom of man is foolishness to god." – A tired retread of the emperor's new clothes. Not a prophecy.
@Marth,
If you can read airplanes and automobiles into 'going to and fro', then please invest in my newest killer app. It will revolutionize how people communicate and It's called can-n-string.
"Daniel 12:4 says, But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (KJV)"
By posting that snippet of text in reference to the internet shows why cherry picking the bible is so bad for Christians, they demonstrate they don't comprehend the bible.
And you of little or no faith at all knows everything about it. Please oh faithless one, educate us who believe in God and have faith.
gay rights. civil rights– equally annoying and noone really cares outside of them. live your life- shut up
So....there are security arrangements for the Pope, yet he expects women to rely on "faith" when it comes to pregnancy, what that pregnancy does to a womans' health, and providing for too many children......why not rely on "faith" for his travel arrangements? Drink your own kool-aid Frank...
Reread the article about the Pope's choices regarding his security to help you understand why you are contradicting your own crafted paradigm if you base it on this story.
He is eschewing the bulletproof pope mobile...but there will still be LOTS of security......why not trust in "god"? Why not accept if anything happens that it is "gpds" will like he expects women to do?
The NT is the story of a simple preacher man aka Jesus told by five different story tellers/embellishers named Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. They made this simple preacher man into a god to win converts to their cause, the new Judaism. Some years later a few of the many embellished passages were erroneously used to establish the male papacy. Tis time to bring Christianity back to Earth where it originated. Time for equal representation in the leadership. Time for democracy in the Catholic Church. Amen.
Dear Reality, your expressed thoughts are nothing new. I would ask for the evidence behind your views. Otherwise, the preponderance of evidence is clearly with the Jesus of the Bible. I believe that intelligent people of faith must base their most important views on evidence versus just an opinion. Yes faith and reason cannot be separated. Have you diligently sought the historical evidence of truth? Maybe like Pontius Pilote you are unfamilar with the truth? Offering your opinion as true reality should be a wake up call to anyone who reads your words. Press toward truth and leave unsupported opinions to the coffee crowd.
From a former Catholic: (Bred, Born and Brainwashed in the RCC for 65 years-altar boy, choir, sacraments, atonement theology, original sin, nun/priest/brother teachers et. al. )–
Only for the those interested in a religious update:
1. origin: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E1EFE35540C7A8CDDAA0894DA404482
“New Torah For Modern Minds
Abraham, the Jewish patriarch, probably never existed. Nor did Moses. The entire Exodus story as recounted in the Bible probably never occurred. The same is true of the tumbling of the walls of Jericho. And David, far from being the fearless king who built Jerusalem into a mighty capital, was more likely a provincial leader whose reputation was later magnified to provide a rallying point for a fledgling nation.
Such startling propositions – the product of findings by archaeologists digging in Israel and its environs over the last 25 years – have gained wide acceptance among non-Orthodox rabbis. But there has been no attempt to disseminate these ideas or to discuss them with the laity – until now.
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which represents the 1.5 million Conservative Jews in the United States, has just issued a new Torah and commentary, the first for Conservatives in more than 60 years. Called "Etz Hayim" ("Tree of Life" in Hebrew), it offers an interpretation that incorporates the latest findings from archaeology, philology, anthropology and the study of ancient cultures. To the editors who worked on the book, it represents one of the boldest efforts ever to introduce into the religious mainstream a view of the Bible as a human rather than divine docu-ment. “
prob•a•bly
Adverb: Almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell.
2. Jesus was an illiterate Jewish peasant/carpenter/simple preacher man who suffered from hallucinations (or “mythicizing” from P, M, M, L and J) and who has been characterized anywhere from the Messiah from Nazareth to a mythical character from mythical Nazareth to a ma-mzer from Nazareth (Professor Bruce Chilton, in his book Rabbi Jesus). An-alyses of Jesus’ life by many contemporary NT scholars (e.g. Professors Ludemann, Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen, ) via the NT and related doc-uments have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' sayings and ways noted in the NT were authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles)/hallucinations made/had by the NT authors to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.
The 30% of the NT that is "authentic Jesus" like everything in life was borrowed/plagiarized and/or improved from those who came before. In Jesus' case, it was the ways and sayings of the Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Hitt-ites, Canaanites, OT, John the Baptizer and possibly the ways and sayings of traveling Greek Cynics.
earlychristianwritings.com/
For added "pizzazz", Catholic theologians divided god the singularity into three persons and invented atonement as an added guilt trip for the "pew people" to go along with this trinity of overseers. By doing so, they made god the padre into god the "filicider".
Current RCC problems:
Pedophiliac priests, an all-male, mostly white hierarchy, atonement theology and original sin!!!!
2 b., Luther, Calvin, Joe Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley, Roger Williams, the Great “Babs” et al, founders of Christian-based religions or combination religions also suffered from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingie thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immacu-late co-nceptions).
Current problems:
Adulterous preachers, pedophiliac clerics, "propheteering/ profiteering" evangelicals and atonement theology,
3. Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.
This agenda continues as shown by the ma-ssacre in Mumbai, the as-sas-sinations of Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, the Ft. Hood follower of the koran, the Filipino “koranics”and the Boston Marthon bombers.
And who funds this muck and stench of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.
Current crises:
The Sunni-Shiite global blood feud (e.g. Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Egypt ) and the warmongering, womanizing (11 wives), hallucinating founder.
4. Hinduism (from an online Hindu site) – "Hinduism cannot be described as an organized religion. It is not founded by any individual. Hinduism is God centered and therefore one can call Hinduism as founded by God, because the answer to the question ‘Who is behind the eternal principles and who makes them work?’ will have to be ‘Cosmic power, Divine power, God’."
The caste/laborer system, reincarnation and cow worship/reverence are problems when saying a fair and rational God founded Hinduism."
Current problems:
The caste system, reincarnation and cow worship/reverence.
5. Buddhism- "Buddhism began in India about 500 years before the birth of Christ. The people living at that time had become disillusioned with certain beliefs of Hinduism including the caste system, which had grown extremely complex. The number of outcasts (those who did not belong to any particular caste) was continuing to grow."
"However, in Buddhism, like so many other religions, fanciful stories arose concerning events in the life of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama (fifth century B.C.):"
Archaeological discoveries have proved, beyond a doubt, his historical character, but apart from the legends we know very little about the circu-mstances of his life. e.g. Buddha by one legend was supposedly talking when he came out of his mother's womb.
Bottom line: There are many good ways of living but be aware of the hallucinations, embellishments, lies, and myths surrounding the founders and foundations of said rules of life.
Then, apply the Five F rule: "First Find the Flaws, then Fix the Foundations". And finally there will be religious peace and religious awareness in the world!!!!!
Forget what the illiterate
I could not agree more. I like your comment so much I will copy it and keep for future use. Thank you for being a rational polite person.
@Reality, Paul is not part of the NT for the Catholic Church, which is headed by the Pope. If you are not a Catholic (as you are clearly not) keep you democratization opinions for your own Christian branch and let Catholics deal with the Catholic Church. By the way it is "God" and not "god"
You sure must know the Bible pretty well that you omit the Torah prophetising the coming of Messiah/Anointed of God in Psalms, Jeremiah, Isaiah etc etc etc. I agree that apostolic succession is not Biblical but hijacked by pagan Rome during Constantine era, but rest you say you are gravely , eternal consequence mistaken. Ask God to show you truth with ALL SINCERITY with SINCERE repentance of your sins and you'll know Jesus [YAHshua/YAHWEH SAVES] is Him !
There are no gods or goddesses, demons or devils, ghosts or goblins. Religion was invented by man to control the masses.
That said, have fun during Pope-palooza '13.
Religion has existed before there was any concept of masses (even before there was any written history). In fact, communism which was a political movement based on controlling masses banned religion based on their belief that religion was "the opium of the people." So religion is not necessarily related with mass control. In fact, religion is a belief so it is not invented. Would you say that love or hate are human inventions?
"In fact, religion is a belief so it is not invented. Would you say that love or hate are human inventions?"
How do you beleive in something false if it wasnt invented? Some people beleive in bigfoot, does that mean he is real or someone invented the idea of him?
@Yakobi try again,... how about 1/3 fallen angels(now called demons) making up religions/as well as belief of atheism to be worshiped directly/indirectly as God?,...you wouldn't know since you are blind by them!
Have you seen these demons for yourself, Marty?
AND THE INFAMOUS ANGELIC CONS CONTINUE TO WREAK STUPIDITY UPON THE WORLD
Joe Smith had his Moroni. (As does M. Romney)
"Latter-day Saints like M. Romney also believe that Michael the Archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah."
Jehovah Witnesses have their Jesus /Michael the archangel, the first angelic being created by God;
Mohammed had his Gabriel (this "tin-kerbell" got around).
Jesus and his family had/has Michael, Gabriel, and Satan, the latter being a modern day demon of the demented. (As does BO and his family)(As do Biden and Ryan)
The Abraham-Moses myths had their Angel of Death and other "no-namers" to do their dirty work or other assorted duties.
Contemporary biblical and religious scholars have relegated these "pretty wingie/horn-blowing thingies" to the myth pile. We should do the same to include deleting all references to them in our religious operating manuals. Doing this will eliminate the prophet/profit/prophecy status of these founders and put them where they belong as simple humans just like the rest of us.
Then there is that demon of the demented known as Satan !!