Denver Catholic

Poll fi nds pope has Catholics praying more often BY NISSA LAPOINT One year into his papacy, Pope Francis remains im- mensely popular among Amer- ican Catholics and is seen as a force for positive change in the Church, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. More than 8-in-10 U.S. Cath- olics have a favorable view of the pontiff, rivaling the num- ber who felt equally positive about Blessed Pope John Paul II in the '80s and '90s, the study found. The study, released March 6, also revealed some 71 percent of American Catholics think Pope Francis represents a ma- jor change in the direction of the Church. About 56 percent of non-Catholics reported the same. While Pope Francis' im- pact is a cause of celebration, Catholics are pointing out that some media's depiction of the pontiff could be misleading. In his Feb. 4 Denver Catholic Register column, Archbishop Samuel Aquila wrote that the media is creating what one journalist has called a "fantasy" Francis, one that is far from the truth of who he is and what he believes. "But I do believe that his appearance underscores the power of building 'a culture of encounter' and bringing 'tenderness' to our interac- tions—two principles that he embodies and promotes," the archbishop wrote. The media's reporting on the pope has rivaled top pub- lic offi cials and other religious leaders. Another Pew study re- vealed the pope received near- ly 50,000 media mentions be- tween his election and the end of January. That's more than U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian President Vladimir Putin and far more than the Dalai Lama. Global Language Monitor reported that Pope Francis was the most talked about person on the Internet in 2013. Pope Francis addressed the "Francis mania" in a recent interview with Corriere Della Sera. "I don't like ideological inter- pretations, a certain mytholo- gy of Pope Francis," he report- edly said. "To paint the pope as if he is a sort of Superman, a sort of star, I fi nd offensive. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps peacefully and has friends like everyone else. He is a normal person." The Pew study reported it isn't clear whether the so- called "Francis effect" is creat- ing a discerning change among faithful's approach to the faith. There has been no measure- able rise in the percentage of Americans identifying as Cath- olic, but about 26 percent of Catholics have become "more excited" about their faith over the past year and 4-in-10 also reported praying more often, according to the study. The study was based on a national sample of 1,821 adults living in the United States, in- cluding a large portion of young adults aged 18-33. Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I MARCH 12, 2014 POPE FRANCIS' 1ST ANNIVERSARY I 9 2013 ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ SEPT. 7 Called for day of fasting and peace for peace in Syria, the entire Mid- east region, and throughout the world OCT. 8 Convoked an Ex- traordinary Gener- al Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme "The Pastoral Challeng- es of the Family in the Context of Evangelization" OCT. 27 Sent a Tweet of thanks after @ pontifex passed the 10 million mark of Twitter followers NOV. 6 Hugged man with neurofi bromato- sis in St. Peter's Square at end of his general audi- ence, which then became one of the most shared imag- es on the Internet around the world NOV. 6 Global Language Monitor revealed Pope Francis was most talked about person of 2013 NOV. 24 Published fi rst ap- ostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaud- ium" ("The Joy of the Gospel"), which coincided with the closing of the Year of Faith DEC. 11 Chosen by Time magazine as "Per- son of the Year" JAN 31 Designates 2015 as Year of Conse- crated Life, which will begin on Nov. 21 FEB. 22 At fi rst consistory, created 19 new cardinals, includ- ing nine from South America, Africa and Asia; joined by Benedict XVI at consistory FEB. 24 Established Secretariat for the Economy and named Cardinal George Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, as head of the new offi ce PHOTO BY ALAN HOLDREN/CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY 2014 Francis effect? PHOTO BY KYLE BURKHART/CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY POPE Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City during the Wednesday general audience on Dec. 4, 2013. European publisher launches new Pope Francis magazine BY ELISE HARRIS ROME (CNA)—One of the largest publishing companies in Europe is releasing a fi rst-ever weekly mag- azine dedicated entirely to Pope Francis due to the impact his pontifi cate has had in the world over the last year. On March 3 Mondadori, Italy's largest book and magazine publisher and the third largest in the con- sumer magazine segment in France, announced their new magazine Il Mio Papa, which is to be the world's fi rst magazine dedicated entirely to the bishop of Rome. The fi rst issue of the Italian language magazine was set to hit newsstands on March 5; an initial print run of 3 million copies is to be released during the fi rst month. "The idea for a magazine designed to report on and share the words and actions of Pope Francis came from observing how his election has stimulated a renewed interest on ethical, religious and moral is- sues," the magazine's editor, Aldo Vitali, said in a March 3 press release announcing the publication. "In fact, the current pope is a fi gure who, thanks to his empathy, as well as the power, the courage and the simplicity of his message, has won over everyone, both the faithful and non-believers," he observed. According to the press release, the new magazine will have a positive and popular approach with a layout that is colorful, easy to read, and will engage readers with moving photographic images, and will cover the weekly events of the Roman pontiff, including his meetings, pronouncements, engagements and audiences, such as his weekly Angelus and general audience addresses. Included in the magazine as a gift will be a double poster of Pope Fancis along with the most impactful phrase of the week, and every is- sue will include a piece of illustrated history on the life of the pontiff, done by artist Tiziana Lupi and which are designed as pull-out inserts to be collected. For the fi rst edition, Mondadori will include a special feature on the one-year anniversary of the pope's election, which will also be cov- ered in a DVD as a supplement to the magazine the following week. Il Mio Papa will launch with a price of 50 euro cents, and shortly after will be available on Facebook, Twitter, and the magazine's website, www.miopapa.it. PHOTO PROVIDED MARISSA EVANS holds a baby while volunteering at the Gabriel House near St. James Church. about Pope Francis is his uni- versal appeal," said Deanne Vizurraga of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial. "It really opens doors." The 49-year-old mother and wife said she's had several discussions about the pontiff with strangers and others in her life. "I had a conversation with a lady, a former Catholic, sitting next to me at the ski lodge who told me how much she liked him, when our conversation turned to discussing universi- ties," Vizurraga said. "And even my chiropractor, who is Jew- ish, commented on how much he likes Pope Francis. He just said that out of the blue. I thought that was awesome." These conversations are opportunities to evangelize, she said, which she hopes will continue. "He's warmed the market for us," she said. "So when we are in our daily lives, if 'Catholic' comes up in a conversation, people are so enthusiastic. I think Pope Francis is such an ambassador for our faith." Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa PHOTO BY LAUREN CATER/CNA

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