POPE FRANCIS: Philadelphia's Asian Catholics join the million people Mass

The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters will make a public appearance in order to see the Pope.

A MILLION people from across the United States are expected to attend the outdoor mass officiated by Pope Francis in Philadelphia Sunday (Sept. 27).

Among them will be the Pink Sisters, so-named for the rose-colored habits that they wear. The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters are a group of cloistered nuns who are cloistered, who will venture into the public to attend the mass, a half-mile from their convent.

“He’s not just somebody. He is the vicar of Christ,” said Sister Maria Clarissa, 55 years old, who once worked for an accounting firm in the Philippines. “Even if we’re cloistered, we’re going, and our bishops are saying, ‘Good for you.’ ”

Fifteen of the 20 secluded sisters are from the Philippines.

To see the Pope, they will take a break from  their continuous praying which has been on-going uninterrupted for 100 years. A lone sister will remain behind so the the string of prayers won't be broken.

Across town, historic St. Augustine Church cancelled its Sunday evening Mass so that its parishioners, predominantly Filipino, can attend the Papal Mass. St. Augustine, built right after the Revolutionary War, is now the National Shrine for the Santo Nino, patron saint of the Philippines. Its Filipino dance troupe has been practicing for months to take part in a multicultural performance meant to show the Pope the diversity in America's Catholic parishes.

The church had a declining attendance in the early 1990s. Its traditional German and Irish parishioners had moved to the suburbs. The low point was one Christmas Mass when only nine people attended and one of them was the priest. Rumors of its possible closure began to circulate.

St. Augustine Catholic Church is a story being repeated across America. Even as the Catholic Church is experiencing a loss of parishioners; as its European/Americans move to the suburbs or stop going to church, a new wave of Catholics from Latin America and Asia are reviving church with a new energy as the Catholic Church adapts its services and activities to serve its new laity. The Los Angeles Archdiocese is the largest in the United States and it is 75% Latino.

St. Augustine and churches in the San Francisco Bay Area are dominated by Asian churchgoers, mainly Filipino but healthy numbers of Chinese, Burmese, Korean, Ceylonese and Vietnamese.

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POPE FRANCIS: Words of wisdom and compassion

Pope Francis is the first Pope to address Congress.

POPE FRANCIS said it better than I can write it. Herein are excerpts of some of the words he said on a variety of issues during the Washington D.C. portion of his visit to the United States. After reading these quotes, it would be hard to argue that the Holy Father is not an astute politician; he is not a man not relegated to the pulpit, but well aware of the ways of the real world. Click here for the entire speech.

After the fiery rhetoric spewing out of the presidential campaign it was refreshing to listen to the Holy Father's softly-spoken words reminding the lawmakers of America's potential as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. Without pointing fingers, he challenged Congress to live up to America's lofty ideals.

He carefully talks about controversial issues without bringing along all the rancor that can arise with the less artful use of words. He doesn't mention words like abortion, gay marriage, racism or immigration reform, but he talks about these hot-button issues in away that is less judgmental, less threatening and less objectionable.

RELATED: Interfaith service will include Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists & Jews

If there is a common theme, it is the need to help the impoverished from various fronts - whether you're making laws, making money, saving the environment, or saving souls.

ON CLIMATE CHANGE
“I call for a courageous and responsible effort to ‘redirect our steps,’ and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference – I’m sure.” 

“And I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a culture of care and an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.”

Philippine Embassy, Washington DC

A group of Filipino children greeted Pope Francis during his visit to Washington, DC on 24 September 2015. The children were Beatrice Olivares, Zacharie Aguila Famoso, Angelo Magalong, Abram Elijah Moses Caasi, Joelle Marie T. Bustamante, Lorenz Alacbay, Priscilla Saldana, Precious Phan, Maurine Ysabel Suarez, Anton Jordan, Christian Gio Catu, Danica Regalario, and Alyssa Laluces. The 13 children were selected out of 137 through a lottery system. The names were drawn by Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

ON CAPITALISM
"It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good."

"This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all."

ON FUNDAMENTALISM
"Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind."

ON 'SIMPLISTIC' VIEWS
"A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners," Pope Francis said. "The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps."

ON HOMELESSNESS

“I want to be very clear. We can’t find any social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever for lack of housing. We know that Jesus wanted to show solidarity with every person. He wanted everyone to experience his companionship, his help and his love. He identified with all those who suffer, who weep, who suffer any kind of injustice. He tells us this clearly, ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’"

ON BLACK LIVES MATTER
"All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. Here too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery 50 years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his dream of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of dreams -- dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people."

ON THE WEAPONS TRADE
“Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals? The answer, as we all know, is simply for money. Money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.”

ON IMMIGRATION

Of all the topics the Pope brought up, he had plenty to say about immigration and then plight of refugees:

"The people of this continent are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners," 

“On this continent too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?”

"When the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our neighbors and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this."

Did Congress hear the Pope's words? Let's pray they did.

(More to come tomorrow.)

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POPE FRANCIS: Interfaith service includes Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists & Jews

The Washington Archdiocese released this photo on Instagram when Pope Francis

visited St. Patrick Cathedral's food program during lunch.

IT SHOULD be noted for readers of this blog - written from and Asian/American perspective - that Jesus Christ was an Asian. As a matter of fact, most of the world's major religions find their origins in Asia.

I mention this because Pope Francis is going to participate in an ecumenical service at the site of the former World Trade Center, also known as Ground Zero.

Religious leaders and representatives from Buddhist, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths, will join the pope on Thursday (Sept. 25) at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Part of Pope Francis’ two-day visit to New York City in memory of those who died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

RELATED: Words of wisdom and compassion.

“The pope understands the power of faith or religion as an instrument of peace, as opposed to division or strife,” said Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue. “To participate in an interreligious gathering which affirms that, whatever our differences may be, we are children of the same God, is an extraordinary statement.”

Among the leaders who will offer prayers to honor the victims of Sept. 11, 2001 are Dr. Satpal Singh, a survivor of 1984 religious anti-Sikh violence in India and professor at CUNY Buffalo School of Medicine; Yasuko Niwano of Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of New York; Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America; Bhante Hennbunne Konda, a Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk; and Imam Khalid Latif, executive director of the Islamic Center at New York University.

Dr. Satpal Singh

"Pope Francis sends a significant message by sharing this service with minority communities, such as Sikh Americans, that have been the target of post-9/11 racial violence," Dr. Gunisha Kaur, a Sikh-American leader and anesthesiologist who will take part in the multi-religious gathering, told NBC News. "Being on stage alongside such an incredible individual gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that we all belong to the same collective family and that we have many shared experiences that unite us. As a Sikh, New Yorker, and physician specializing in global health work, this message is powerful."

Satpal Singh, a Buffalo-based leader of the Sikh community, is hoping to use the moment on Sept. 25 as a way to educate the wider public about the Sikh faith. His prayer would reflect the point that “our actions speak,” he said.

“God expects all of us to love each other irrespective of what our outward beliefs and what our affiliations are,” said Dr. Satpal Singh a leader of the Sikh community in New York. Sikhs have been targeted by hate crimes since 9/11 because of the turbans and beards that they wear as part of their religion. “That’s the important message that has to come through this forum.”

After speaking to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, Pope Francis passed up an opportunity to lunch with Washington's political leaders so he could visit a soup kitchen sponsored by the nearby St. Patricks' Catholic Church where he met and talked with the homeless in attendance.

The visit was symbolic of Pope Francis' desire to reach out to the margins and care for the poor and disenfranchised. Since he began his papacy, the Vatican opened new shower facilities in St. Peter's Square where people can get free haircuts and a shave. The Vatican is also building a homeless shelter in Rome, just outside the Vatican's walls.

After the 9/11 service in New York, he will visit the Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem. He’ll round out his stay with a 20,000-strong massat Madison Square Garden where he is expected to say more on peace and justice before heading to Philadelphia early Saturday. While in the City of Brotherly Love, he will give a major address on immigration at Independence Mall and visit prisoners and some of their families at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.

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