GRADUATE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Holy Angel University

Angeles City

“ECCLESIA EST COMMUNIO:

AN ATTEMPT AT UNDERSTANDING
THE EMERGING ECCLESIOLOGY OF POPE FRANCIS”

A Research Paper submitted to

Graduate School Department, Holy Angel University,
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Arts in Religious Education

JOSE MA WIJANGCO GOPEZ

28 October 2017
 ABSTRACT

Since the closing of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the nature and mission of the

Church have been established by the previous popes until the incumbent pope, Francis I. This is

evidently seen in one of the conciliar documents, Lumen Gentium, wherein the Church is

considered as more than an organization or institution. Rather, it is a communion of people. For

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “it is the organism of the Holy Spirit, something that is alive, that

takes hold of our inmost being. This consciousness found verbal expression with the concept of

the ‘Mystical Body of Christ’.”1 Another evident identity of the Church is by being the People of

God composed of the clergy and laity in which the membership is taken from the virtue of

baptism. The Church nowadays is being molded by the bishops headed by the Holy Father. The

ecclesiological themes of Pope Francis are clearly manifested in his writing, deep-rooted in the

teachings of Vatican II.

Key Words: ecclesiology, Church of the poor, Second Vatican Council, communion

INTRODUCTION

1
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, opened the Pastoral
Congress of the Diocese of Aversa in Italy dedicated to a re-reading of the documents of the Second Vatican Council
on September 15, 2001.
 Angelo Cardinal Sodano, the Cardinal Dean then, asked the pope-elect, Jose Mario

Cardinal Bergoglio, SJ, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the Latin question, Acceptasne

electionem de te canonice factam in Summum Pontificem? (Do you accept your canonical

election as Supreme Pontiff?) on March 13, 2013. Upon the affirmative response of Cardinal

Bergoglio, the Cardinal Dean would have a follow-up question, Quo nomine vis vocari? (By

what name do you wish to be called?). And the new pope wished to be called ‘Francis’.

From the chosen papal name of the future successor of St. Peter, the theme of the papal

leadership could be possibly drawn. Moreover, the pope’s vision on the Church could be

realized. Cardinal Bergoglio wanted to be called Francis, as his papal name, for a purposive

reason. In an audience, a few days after his election, Pope Francis revealed his reason why he

had chosen his papal name.

Cardinal Claudio Hummes: a good friend, a good friend! When things were
looking dangerous, he encouraged me. And when the votes reached two thirds,
there was the usual applause, because the Pope had been elected. And he gave me
a hug and a kiss, and said: “Don’t forget the poor!” And those words came to me:
the poor, the poor. Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of
Assisi. Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted, till the
end. Francis is also the man of peace. That is how the name came into my heart:
Francis of Assisi. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man
who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good
relationship with creation, do we? He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace,
the poor man. How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!
(Catholic Herald)

Pope Francis is longing for a Church that is poor and for the poor, inspired by the virtue

of St. Francis of Assisi who embraced the life of peace, austerity and poverty. The former

Archbishop of Buenos Aires might have been inspired by themes of the Conference of the Latin

American Bishops during the Medellin Conference in 1968. One of the themes of the Episcopal

Conference was material poverty in the Church, rooted in the teachings of the recent ecumenical

council, the Second Vatican Council. “The Medellin Conference did not use the expression
introduced by Pope John XXIII —the Church of the Poor. Instead it referred to the Church in

Latin America as a ‘poor church’ (Iglesia Pobre), a Church that is called to witness to spiritual or

evangelical poverty and at the same time bound to material poverty” (Picardal). The Latin

American bishops looked at this form of poverty as the outcome of the immense materialism of

the society in which the Church has to look after. Moreover, the Episcopal Conference

emphasized that the “Church’s commitment to the poor must be concretely expressed by being in

solidarity with the poor, by evangelizing the poor and being a humble servant of the people”

(Picardal). This is to say that the Church is a servant to her people. Taken from Lumen Gentium,

the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,

Just as Christ carried out his work of redemption in poverty and oppression, so the
Church is called to follow the same path if she is to communicate the fruits of
salvation to men… the Church, although she needs human resources to carry out
her mission, is not set up to seek earthly glory, but to proclaim, and this by her
own example, humility and self-denial. Christ was sent by the Father to bring
good news to the poor, to heal the contrite of heart, to seek and to save what was
lost. (LG 8)

Thus, Francis’ line of thought is to have a preferential love for the Last, the Least, and the

Lost because they are never apart from the flock of Christ. He promotes a Church of the Poor

that possesses “the evangelical spirit of poverty of being both detached from worldly things and

trusting toward God’s grace and providence. This also means that the faithful being are

concerned with the welfare of those in greater need, the poor in our midst, and those who are

better off strive to aid their less fortunate brothers and sisters in the Christian community”

(Youngsters Online). This means as well that everyone is much welcome in the Church, and not

discriminated because of their economic status in life. The Church having this spirit is much

willing to follow the ways of Christ even through poverty and oppression will be carried out his

work in today’s world. In fact, the basis of being members of the Church is not through material
possession but by means of receiving the sacrament of baptism. In addition, people from the

marginalized societies, for Francis, are also evangelizers of the Church. Hence, they are sources

of good news of salvation. The pope also mentions, “The treasures of the Church are the poor”

(qtd. in Harris).

Another possible vision of Pope Francis on the Church was heard during his first Angelus

prayer, delivered from a window high above St Peter’s Square. He said to the people:

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents to us the episode of the
adulterous woman (cf. Jn 8:1-11), whom Jesus saves from being condemned to
death. Jesus' attitude is striking: we do not hear words of scorn, we do not hear
words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, which are an invitation
to conversion. “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again” (v. 11). Ah!
Brothers and Sisters, God's face is the face of a merciful father who is always
patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience he has with each one
of us? That is his mercy. He always has patience, patience with us, he understands
us, he waits for us, he does not tire of forgiving us if we are able to return to him
with a contrite heart. “Great is God's mercy”, says the Psalm.

Cardinal Kasper, a clever theologian, a good theologian — on mercy, said that

feeling mercy, that this word changes everything. This is the best thing we can
feel: it changes the world. A little mercy makes the world less cold and more just.
We need to understand properly this mercy of God, this merciful Father who is so
patient. Let us remember the Prophet Isaiah who says that even if our sins were
scarlet, God's love would make them white as snow. This mercy is beautiful.

Let us never tire, let us never tire! He is the loving Father who always pardons,
who has that heart of mercy for us all. And let us too learn to be merciful to
everyone. Let us invoke the intercession of Our Lady who held in her arms the
Mercy of God made man. (Francis, Angelus, 17 Mar 2013)

The Holy Father, bearing the name of Francis, officially began his Petrine ministry as the

Vicar of Christ right after the formal inauguration mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 19,

2013, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary. He also started to build up the nature

and identity of the Church in the light of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council as a poor

Church for the poor rooted in mercy.

POPE FRANCIS’ ECCELESIOLOGY

Description

The words and actions of Pope Francis are catching the attention of the Catholics, other

Christians, and people of other religious traditions from around the world. The ecclesiological

perspective of Francis is revitalising to the life and mission of the members of People of God.

Thus, in this paper, the emerging ecclesiological theme in which Pope Francis is trying to imply

in his documents, talks, audiences and prayers as he assumes the office of papacy, is a Church of

communion through solidarity and service. It indeed reflects the vision of church that Francis

proposes. They also denote a challenge to the Christian community to rejuvenate its

understanding of what it means to be Church in the modern and even in the millennial world.

The Church as Communion

One of the fundamental, prevailing themes of the Vatican II was the theme of

communion. It was about the nature and mission of the church which is evidently seen in the first

chapter of Lumen Gentium—the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. The council fathers then

understood the Church as “in the nature of a sacrament—a sign and instrument, that is, of

communion with God and of unity among all men” (LG 1). They articulated that the Church is

more than an institution, but a community. The perfect example of this unity is the Holy Trinity.

In addition, the constitution recognizes that God willed to make human beings holy “not as

individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who

might acknowledge and serve him in holiness. It proceeds to affirm that the messianic people of

God has been established by Christ as “a communion of life, love and truth” (LG 9). In short, the

council fathers realized this community of believers must live in the life of holiness inspired by

the Holy Spirit. Another conciliar document, Gaudium et Spes—the Pastoral Constitution on the

Church in the Modern World— asserts that the resurrected Christ, as the head of the Church,
instituted a new communion among the members of His body, “in which everyone as members

one of the other would render mutual service in the measure of the different gifts bestowed on

each” (GS 32). Thus, this communion is a communion of love-giving, having a compassionate

heart for the others.

The ecclesiology of communion has been centralized the official teaching of the Church

since the adjournment of Vatican II until today. In the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985,

twenty years after the Vatican II, the Synod fathers wrote in the Final Report that “the

ecclesiology of communion is the central and fundamental idea of the council’s documents” (48).

This conception of Church was also carried out by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI in their

pontificate. John Paul II gave an insightful observation about the Church on the advent of the

new millennium when he said, “To make the church the home and school of communion: that is

the challenge facing us in the new millennium” (Novo Millennio Ineunte 43). In the encyclical

letter of Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, Benedict XVI writes, “I cannot possess Jesus Christ

just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will

become his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus towards unity with

all Christians” (14). In these papal writings, it is presupposed that communion and mission are

interconnected. The communion of the Church which is rooted in the communion of the Trinity

gives rise to mission of the Church. Moreover, “the goal of the Christian mission is that all

people be brought into communion with God and with one another” (Ryan 82).

Upon the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the mission on shepherding the People of

God was entrusted to Pope Francis. The ecclesiastical vision of Francis started to take place into.

Based on the talks, audiences and writings of Francis since the start of his pontificate, his

ecclesiology has been building up the Church as communion. “He frequently describes the
Christian life as a call to communion with Christ and with others” (Ryan 82). The pope stresses

the importance of fostering the sense of collegiality 2 in the Church. He adds more, “We must

walk together: the people, the bishops and the pope. Synodality 3 should be lived at various

levels” (qtd. in Spadaro 20). Thus, the college of bishops is an expression and portrayal of unity

of the People of God.

The Church as communion is clearly manifested as Pope Francis describes the nature of

Church’s catholicity in a general audience on October 9, 2013. He mentioned three

characteristics of the Church’s catholicity. He said, “First, the Church is the space in which the

faith is proclaimed to us in its entirety; second, the Church is universal—it is spread to every part

of the world and proclaims the gospel to everyone; and third, it is “the home of harmony” (The

Church of Mercy 33). He always comments on the presence and action of the Holy Spirit as

effecting harmony amidst diversity. He adds more, “The Holy Spirit is the One who creates unity

in diversity, because the Holy Spirit is harmony and always creates harmony in the Church. And

harmonious unity in the many different cultures, languages and ways of thinking” (The Church

of Mercy 29).

The development of the ecclesiology of communion is also an emergence of a spirituality

of communion, evident in the words and actions of Francis. He once said, “I was always looking

for community. I did not see myself as a priest on my own. I need a community” (qtd. in Spadaro

17). He reminds the members of the Church that the ultimate destination is gearing towards the

reign of God. He explains further, “full communion with the Lord, familiarity with the Lord,

2
In the Roman Catholic Church, collegiality refers to the Pope governing the Church in collaboration with the
bishops of the local Churches, respecting their proper autonomy. In the early church the popes exercised moral
authority rather than administrative power, and that authority was relatively limited; regional churches elected their
own bishops, resolved disputes in local synods, and only felt the need to appeal to the Pope under special
circumstances.
3
Synodality is the practical expression of the participation of the local Church in the governance of the
universal Church, through deliberative bodies.
entry into his own divine life, where we will live in the joy of his love beyond measure, a full

joy” (The Simple Words of Pope Francis 35). In short, the Catholics and other Christians are

called to make life in the Church through an experience of communion. Francis speaks outs

again: “It is necessary to seek to build communion, to teach communion, to get the better of

misunderstandings, starting with the family, with ecclesial reality, in ecumenical dialogue, too.

Our world needs unity; this is an age in which we all need unity. We need reconciliation and

communion, and the Church is the home of communion” (The Church of Mercy 28).

To strengthen the ecclesiology and spirituality of communion, the Church must be kept in

solidarity with others, especially the poor and suffering of the world. For Pope Francis, the call to

solidarity with marginalized and outcast of the society is not an extra-activity. This is to say that

it is integral and fundamental to the evangelizing mission of the Church by the virtue of the

sacrament of baptism. The pope passionately pinpoints the poverty of Christ in the Scriptures. He

cites the famous verse from 2 Corinthians 8:9. Paul writes, “For you know the gracious act of our

Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty

you might become rich” (New American Bible). Benedict XVI then cited as well the Pauline

verse to the Bishops of Latin American on May 12, 2007, in which he asserted that “the

preferential option for the poor is implicit in the Christological faith in the God who became poor

for us, so as to enrich us with his poverty” (3).

Last Lent 2015, Francis shares his reflection to the peoples as he says, “The poverty of

Christ that enriches us is his taking flesh and bearing our weaknesses and sins as an expression

of God’s infinite mercy to us. The poverty of Christ is the greatest treasure of all” (“Lenten

Message for 2014”). Thus, he implies that “God’s wealth passes not through our wealth, but

invariably and exclusively through our personal and communal poverty, enlivened by the Spirit
of God” (“Lenten Message for 2014”). He continues to invite Christians to follow the life and

ways of Christ by confronting the poverty of our brothers and sisters, “to touch it, to make it our

own and to take practical steps to alleviate it” (“Lenten Message for 2014”).

Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, “is especially noteworthy for

its critique of modern society and its reflection on the call to solidarity with the poor” (Ryan 86).

In the fourth chapter, Francis states it very directly: “Each Christian and every community is

called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling

them to be fully a part of society” (187). The pope says that solidarity is a term that is “poorly

understood” (EG 188); it means more than “a few sporadic acts of generosity” (EG 188). Hence,

solidarity entails “the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the

priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few” (EG 188).

In his invitation to become a Church in solidarity, Francis is encouraging all Christians to

recognize that “no human being is disposable. And that means that we have to think beyond the

narrow boundaries of nation and region in order to develop a more global approach to solving the

world’s problems. We must find ways to include the economically poor and other marginalized

people” (Ryan 86). Therefore, the pope takes into consideration both physical and economical

poverty of the people.

In the pontificate of Francis, his ecclesiological vision places the theme of service front

and center which is the heart of Christianity – “the call to humble service to fellow members of

the church and to the wider world. The discussion of solidarity above makes it clear that Francis

summons the church to emulate Jesus in reaching out to those who are most in need throughout

the world” (Ryan 87). To give light to the Church in solidarity, Christians must be expressed in

concrete actions that respond to the needs of real people especially in the part of the clergy.
“Francis also exhorts those who minister within the church to see their role as one of offering

faithful, generous service to those to whom they minister. He repeatedly challenges the

motivations, attitudes and actions of those who lead God’s people” (Ryan 87). The intentions of

the ecclesial leaders must continue to purify in the light of the teachings of the Church.

With regard to leadership and service of the Church, Pope Francis “favors words that

bespeak accompaniment, walking with others, journeying alongside them” (Ryan 87). This is the

context for his references to the ‘smell like the sheep’. The Church leaders must personally know

the people they are shepherding, immersing into the individual lives. “Church leaders should be

so close to the people they shepherd that they are marked by their very scent” (Ryan 87). In

Evangelii Gaudium, Francis emphasizes that “those who preach must first listen to the people in

the pews. If they are to proclaim the word of God, they must share in the lives of the people to

whom they preach and pay loving attention to them” (154). He refers to journey with the people

—“sometimes in front, sometimes behind, and sometimes in the middle” (Ryan 87). Service is

more powerful if there is a direct contact of presence among the people. Francis exemplifies that

“We walk in front in order to guide the community, in the middle in order to encourage and

support, and at the back so that no one lags too far behind, to keep them united” (The Church of

Mercy 75).

Thus, the pope is calling pastoral ministers both the clergy and laity, to see their primary

role as one of reflecting the presence of Christ to the people they are called to serve through the

sacraments and liturgy. Ministers must be instruments of encounter between the Lord and his

people. After all, it is the pastoral ministry of all baptized to take part of the ministry of Christ as

his faithful servants.

CONCLUSION
 For Pope Francis, the Church as a communion is a vivid sign of communion with God

and with others, expressed through solidarity with all especially with the poor, and marginalized

by becoming servants. This was already exemplified by Jesus in his public ministry. The

ecclesiological vision expressed by Francis is deeply rooted in the teaching of Vatican II – the

ecclesiology of communion. It is the communion of the communities, so to speak.

Marc Cardinal Ouellet, the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, once wrote about the

foundation of ecclesiology. “The Trinitarian foundation we highlighted presupposes unity in

difference in God himself: “One Love, three Lovers.” We are thus invited to cultivate unity in

diversity in the Church’s life and mission: the unity of love in the multiplicity of persons, the

unity of faith and mores in the diversity of cultural and social contexts” (14). For Ouellet, the

ecclesiology of communion is explicitly founded on the Trinitarian discourse about God. The

perfect model of communion is the communion of the Trinity. “The Church must, then,

appreciate diversity as a richness of unity, in the manner of the God who is One as Three”

(Ouellet, 14). “That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they

also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (NAB, Jn. 17:21).

Becoming one, therefore, is the impetus to build up the mission and nature of the Church.

Francis asserts in his Evangelii Gaudium, “The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the

Son, transforms our hearts and enables us to enter into the perfect communion of the blessed

Trinity, where all things find their unity. He builds up the communion and harmony of the

people of God. The same Spirit is that harmony, just as he is the bond of love between the Father

and the Son. It is he who brings forth a rich variety of gifts, while at the same time creating a

unity which is never uniformity but a multifaceted and inviting harmony” (117).

RECAPITULATION
 Since the culmination of the latest ecumenical council of the Church, the Second Vatican

Council, the idea of communion has been revitalized for Christian unification which was one of

the main reasons of the council’s convocation in the mind of John XXIII and Paul VI. It was in

the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985, headed by John Paul II, formally conceptualized

that “the ecclesiology of communion is the central and fundamental idea of the council’s

documents” (48). Thus, the pontificate of John Paul II continued to build up the Church as

communion through his words and actions. The Church, Pope Benedict XVI, is not a council

rather a communion of community to restore the broken relationship of various Christians. After

the sudden resignation of Benedict XVI, Pope Francis has been living out the ecclesiology of

communion by becoming the servant of the servants of God.

The ecclesiology of the communion is vividly evident in the writings of Pope Francis.

One of which is the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. It strongly emphasizes the

proclamation of the gospel of today’s world as a form of new evangelization. Thus, the desire of

Francis is to reach out people who have not yet heard the Word of God. He is really concerned

with people who were left behind. He believes that there is joy in proclaiming the gospel to the

poor and needy because the Church could learn as well from them. It is a symbolic action to talk

about the gospel as one community by means of pastoral ministry. He encourages all bishops to

foster communion in their local Churches. He tells that each bishop, “In his mission of fostering

a dynamic, open and missionary communion, he will have to encourage and develop the means

of participation and other forms of pastoral dialogue, out of a desire to listen to everyone and not

simply to those who would tell him what he would like to hear. Yet the principal aim of these

participatory processes should not be ecclesiastical organization but rather the missionary

aspiration of reaching everyone” (31).

 The Encyclical letter, Laudato Si, of Pope Francis is also a means of communion even

though it is more concerned with the care for common home. He simply asserts, “Moreover,

when our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes

nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this

world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one

heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in

showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is

contrary to human dignity” (92). The pope addresses ecological issues because the life of the

poor is at stake as well. A suffering environment presupposes a suffering people. The point of

Francis is that the spirit of communion will not be possible if the Mother Nature is crying loudly

because of the selfish action of man. Thus, he is calling Christians to have an ecological

conscience for the sake of communion.

The recent document of Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, is also an invitation to be a

real member of the Church. According to him, to be Christian is to be merciful. The Church must

be merciful because Jesus showed mercy and compassion like his Heavenly Father. He

proclaimed the year of 2016 as the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy with the theme taken

from Luke 6:36, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” This momentous event in the

Church is accompanied by the opening of “the Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters

will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and gives renewed hope” (MV 3). In the

mind of Francis, the Church must be rooted in mercy. God has been merciful to His people; thus,

they must also show same mercy like the Father. The People of God must be also instruments of

mercy.

In this Jubilee Year, may the Church echo the word of God that resounds strong
and clear as a message and a sign of pardon, strength, aid, and love. May she
 never tire of extending mercy, and be ever patient in offering compassion and
comfort. May the Church become the voice of every man and woman, and repeat
confidently without end: “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast
love, for they have been from of old” (Ps 25:6). (MV 25)

For Francis, the Church is like a mother, reaching out her children to heal of wounds with

mercy. He says further, “If the Lord never tires of forgiving, we don’t have any other path that

this one: before anything else, curing the wounds. It’s a mother, the Church, and it must go down

this path of mercy. It must find mercy for everyone” (qtd. in Allen 34).

The ecclesiology of communion will be more vitalized by service. Mercy is not enough.

It must be entailed with compassion and action. Avery Dulles, in his well-known work Models of

the Church, listed as a fifth ecclesiological model the Church as servant. He rooted this idea in

the teachings of Vatican II, particularly the description of the Church’s mission in Gaudium et

Spes. This pastoral constitution “depicts the ministry of Jesus as that of service to others, and it

calls the church to imitate the Lord by serving the world, especially by fostering the brotherhood

and sisterhood of all” (GS 3).

Lastly, the work of the Holy Spirit is an important agent in forming communion.

Francis clearly writes, the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, transforms the hearts of

the people and enables them to enter into the perfect communion of the Blessed Trinity where all

things find unity. The Holy SPirit “builds up the communion and harmony of the people of God.

The same Spirit is that harmony, just as he is the bond of love between the Father and the Son. It

is he who brings forth a rich variety of gifts, while at the same time creating a unity which is

never uniformity but a multifaceted and inviting harmony” (EG 117).

REFERENCES

Sacred Scripture

New American Bible. Nashville: Catholic Bible Press, 1987. Print.

Conciliar Documents

Vatican II. Gaudium et Spes. Pasay City: Paulines Publishing House, 1984. Print.

---. Lumen Gentium. Pasay City: Paulines Publishing House, 1984. Print.

Papal Documents

Benedict XVI, “Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Bishops of Latin
America and the Caribbean,” Shrine of Aparecida, May 13, 2007. Retrieved from
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---. Deus Caritas Est. Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2005. Print.

Francis. “Angelus”. 17 Mar 2013. Retrieved from

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---. Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2014. PDF.

---. Evangelii Gaudium. Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2013. PDF.

---. “Lenten Message for 2014. Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2014. PDF.

---. Misericordiae Vultus. Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2015. PDF.

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Articles and Books

Ouellet, Marc. Communio: The Key to Vatican II’s Ecclesiology. 21 May 2013. PDF.

Ryan, Robin. Ecclesiological Themes in the Teaching of Pope Francis. 9 Sept 2017.
PDF.

Spadaro, Anthony. A Big Heart Open to God: The Exclusive Interview with Pope
Francis. 30 Sept 2013.

The Simple Words of Pope Francis: The Joy of Evangelization. Washington, DC:
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Harris, Elise. Pope Francis tells poor they are 'the treasures of the Church'. Retrieved
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they-are-the-treasures-of-the-church-51076/ on 25 Sept 2017.

Picardal, Amado. Pope Francis and the Church of the Poor. Retrieved from
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