POPE FRANCIS MEETS AND GREETS MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA.............

Pope Francis has just completed a thirty minute Audience with the 5,600 members of the international media in the Pope Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, where he delivered a short address and then personally greeted a small group of them, seemingly 50 persons or so, concluding the brief ceremonial gathering in a unique manner.  Instead of offering them his Apostolic Blessing and proclaiming the Sign of the Cross over them with his hands extended, he humbly told them he would pray for them in his heart silently, and acknowledging their consciences because not all of them are Catholics or even Believers, he would pray for the blessing of each one of them for being a child of God.  This action and statement akin to what the Holy Father did from the balcony on Wednesday as he was introduced to the Church and the World as Pope Francis, when he humbly asked the 100,000  persons in St. Peter's Square to ask God to bless him as the new Roman Pontiff, before extending his introductory, "To the City and The World" Apostolic Blessing.  More on this and Pope Francis' first week as the 266th Successor of St. Peter, in the hours ahead.............Fr.  Troy