{"id":21870,"date":"2017-09-06T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T09:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip-25545\/"},"modified":"2017-09-06T09:04:00","modified_gmt":"2017-09-06T09:04:00","slug":"simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis’ Colombia trip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis is a \u201cchampion\u201d of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando \u00c1lvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have participated in the preparations and I can disclose \u2026 that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,\u201d Bishop Alvarez added.<\/p>\n

The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since \u201cthis has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of\u00a0 financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, \u201cis that we all feel responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a\u00a0 minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n

The Colombian prelate emphasized that \u201cas the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bishop \u00c1lvarez emphasized that there is \u201cwidespread expectancy\u201d in the Colombian people \u201cfor feeling the nearness of the Pope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,\u201d said Bishop Alvarez.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our\u00a0 faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it \u201cthe strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,\u201d the prelate said.<\/p>\n

Bishop Alvarez also stressed that \u201cPope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops\u00a0 place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops’ conference.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA.<\/p>\n

“If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he’s not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized.<\/p>\n

“I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can’t cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added.<\/p>\n

The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.”<\/p>\n

“I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope’s visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said.<\/p>\n

“This has been a commitment and we’ve had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.”<\/p>\n

A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.”<\/p>\n

“If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That’s what we call in Colombia the dynamic of ‘everyone puts in.’ If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out.<\/p>\n

The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father’s arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you’ve been preparing for, all of a sudden it’s right there.”<\/p>\n

“At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we’ve been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father’s message, but I believe we’re at a good point and therefore we’re going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said.<\/p>\n

Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.”<\/p>\n

“And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized.<\/p>\n

“This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.”<\/p>\n

“The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it’s to have security, it’s to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez.<\/p>\n

“We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it’s the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.”<\/p>\n

“I believe that the pope’s consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said.<\/p>\n

In addition, Pope Francis’ visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.”<\/p>\n

“I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said.<\/p>\n

Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.”<\/p>\n

“Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-americas"],"yoast_head":"\nSimplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis' Colombia trip<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference. Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA. “If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized. “I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added. The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.” “I believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said. In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.” “I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said. Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.” “Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis' Colombia trip\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference. Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA. “If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized. “I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added. The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.” “I believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said. In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.” “I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said. Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.” “Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Pilgrims_from_Colombia_in_St_Peters_Square_during_the_General_Audience_April_20_2016_Credit_Daniel_Ibanez_CNA_4_20_16.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/\",\"name\":\"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis' Colombia trip\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference. 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Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. 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Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA. “If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized. “I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added. The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.” “I believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said. In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.” “I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said. Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.” “Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis' Colombia trip","og_description":"Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference. Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA. “If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized. “I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added. The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.” “I believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said. In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.” “I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said. Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.” “Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Pilgrims_from_Colombia_in_St_Peters_Square_during_the_General_Audience_April_20_2016_Credit_Daniel_Ibanez_CNA_4_20_16.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/","name":"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis' Colombia trip","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-06T09:04:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Medellin, Colombia, Sep 6, 2017 \/ 03:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Simplicity and transparency have been key words in the preparations for Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, according to the secretary general of the Colombian bishops' conference. Pope Francis is a “champion” of simplicity through his personal way of life and well as the requirements he makes for an apostolic voyage, Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero, an auxiliary bishop of Medellin, told CNA. “If we just begin with what the Pope asks for during an apostolic visit: a non-armored car, that there be no luxuries, that he's not going to ride in a luxury car, these things. Even thinking about how to host his delegation and himself, that this not entail exorbitant expenses,” he emphasized. “I have participated in the preparations and I can disclose … that we have really cut back a lot of things. You can't cut everything back on everything, some things are required, but many situations in fact have been trimmed down,” Bishop Alvarez added. The prelate also stressed the importance of transparency, since “this has special significance on a continent where corruption scandals occur every day. Our country is not the exception.” “I know what goes on in other Latin American countries to a greater or lesser extent, but the issue of  financial management for the Pope's visit has to be transparent. The accounting always clear and you can see where the resources are coming from,” he said. “This has been a commitment and we've had to sacrifice, for example putting a cap on donations because it is necessary to exercise a certain control.” A third important point, Bishop Alvarez emphasized, “is that we all feel responsible.” “If we all work together from our limited means, we can accomplish it. That's what we call in Colombia the dynamic of 'everyone puts in.' If all of us Catholics put in a  minimum amount, a dollar, we all feel responsible,” he pointed out. The Colombian prelate emphasized that “as the days go by, as we get closer to the Holy Father's arrival, our expectations are high, there is great hope. The same feeling one has when something important that you've been preparing for, all of a sudden it's right there.” “At this time we would have wanted to optimize a lot of things that we've been preparing in order to receive well the Holy Father's message, but I believe we're at a good point and therefore we're going to receive it with an open heart, eager for his message and knowing that this is the visit of the Successor of Peter among us,” he said. Bishop Álvarez emphasized that there is “widespread expectancy” in the Colombian people “for feeling the nearness of the Pope.” “And this is an expectancy common to people of faith, of no faith, because they feel that the Pope interprets human aspirations,” he emphasized. “This is a very Colombian term among us, colloquial: the Pope is arriving, which means the Pope is near, he is able to understand us, the way he and his audience connect.” “The prevailing feeling here is that having the Pope close, is to have confidence, it's to have security, it's to receive a good message, and everyone wants to feel the nearness of the Pope,” said Bishop Alvarez. “We should take advantage of this, experience more deeply the closeness not just of a human leader, it's the closeness of the Successor of Peter, who invites us to strengthen our faith, that is to firm up our  faith and all that it involves. Not just from the liturgical point of view, but also the aspect of the practice of our faith.” “I believe that the pope's consistency is admired such that the same consistency ought to appear in the lives of all Christians,” he said. In addition, Pope Francis' visit to Colombia has a special repercussion among the bishops, since it brings with it “the strengthening of the faith and communion of the college of bishops as well.” “I believe that this experience of communion among us and with the Holy Father on the part of the bishops, has been greatly heightened in this preparatory stage,” the prelate said. Bishop Alvarez also stressed that “Pope Francis is a master of discernment, the discernment of situations. So let us say that the the bishops  place themselves at his side to discern the present time and to determine the pastoral direction that can help us, with all the implications of that discernment.” “Let us say, before God, whose word, to use a biblical term, lays bare our lives, before him the Church has to mark out the way. And if the Pope goes out in front then we will most assuredly have the way,” he said.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/simplicity-and-transparency-are-key-to-pope-francis-colombia-trip\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Simplicity and transparency are key to Pope Francis’ Colombia trip"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21870\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}