In a sober but joyful ceremony, hundreds of faithful gathered at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady early Tuesday evening for a Mass in memory of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. The liturgy, celebrated by Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang in three languages – Cantonese, Portuguese and English – attracted a large number of faithful from different backgrounds, who prayed for the Argentine pontiff’s soul and asked God to welcome him into the immensity of his love.
Former parochial vicar of both Saint Lawrence and Saint Lazarus parishes, Father José Fu Chun died on Thursday, April 24th at Conde São Januário Hospital. Born and raised in Macau, the elderly priest died at age 91, after a long-term illness.
Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, brought synodality back to the heart of the church. During his pontificate, Jorge Mario Bergoglio consistently upheld the Church’s priority of addressing the needs of the poor and invited Catholics worldwide to fully embrace a new theological paradigm, that of pastoral theology. Francis’s time at the helm of the Church was marked by two fundamental characteristics: a deep connection to the Second Vatican Council and the desire to bring the Church closer to the people. The Argentinian pope’s pontificate cannot be understood, Sigrid Müller claims, without seeing it as a continuation and development of Vatican II. The German theologian, teacher of Moral Theology at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Vienna, spoke exclusively with “O Clarim” about Pope Francis’ theological legacy.
In his twelve-year pontificate, Jorge Maria Bergoglio has confronted some of the deepest problems in the Catholic Church, but his legacy as Saint Peter’s successor extends far beyond the realms of faith. Pope Francis has placed the Church before the challenges that confront the world and humanity, addressing problems such as climate crisis, economic inequality and social justice. With the death of the Argentine pontiff, aged 88, the world bid farewell to a tireless defender of a more just and humane economy. Among the multiple dimensions of his papacy is the relentless defense of the metamorphosis of the prevailing economic system through love, witness and hope, rather than power or wealth. This perspective gave rise to the so-called “Economy of Francesco”, a global movement that invited economists, academics and businesspeople from all over the world to rethink the economic system based on the values of the Gospel. On May 1st, 2019, the Holy Father appealed to young people and institutions from all over the world to join a joint effort to give life to the economy of the future. The Macau Ricci Institute (MRI) contributed to the mission, with the so-called “Macau Manifesto. The Director of the MRI, Father Stephan Rothlin, recalls the Pope’s profound legacy on economic justice. The Jesuit missionary, who holds a PhD in Economy and Philosophy, praises Francis’ push to transform an economy into an economy of life and common good.
The sorrowful news of Pope Francis’s passing took me by surprise at the Bangkok airport last Monday as I was traveling to India. Though I knew the Pope had been weak, I believed he had passed the most critical stage and was on the path to recovery.
In Malaysia, the Gospel has been attracting more and more young people and adults, who, after reading the sacred texts, seek baptism, thus embracing Christianity. Several official statements from the local Church have informed us that the Catholic community in Malaysia received – during the Easter Vigil of 2025 alone– more than 2,000 new faithful: 1,047 in Peninsular Malaysia and an equivalent number in the Malaysian provinces of Borneo.
On March 2, 2025, the clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Macau gathered for the Liturgical celebration in preparation for the Jubilee of Priests in June 2025. The celebration coincides with the recollection, the Macau clergy ordinarily fulfill every month. This Jubilee preparation for clergy of the Diocese of Macau, is not just a celebration but a vital opportunity for the clergy to reflect and journey together this Jubilee year. It emphasizes the importance of their priesthood and mission in fostering a vibrant faith community. The gathering thus described as: “It is a celebratory journey made up of four ‘moments’ or stages of following the Master, taking as our example the apostles Peter and Paul. Following in the footsteps left by the lives of these extraordinary men who are the “pillars of the Church”, and in the light of the magisterium, we will retrace our vocation, our profession of faith, our trials and the life of bearing witness that are common to every man called to priestly ministry.” (Liturgy Guide page3)
We all generally prefer to see ourselves as smart, generous, kind, patient, and forgiving people most of the time. But the truth is that we aren’t. Life isn’t ideal. We aren’t perfect. We simply cannot be nice and ‘good’ 100% of the time. If we’re honest with ourselves, we actually have some pretty scary and embarrassing flaws that we prefer to avoid at all costs.
In the Communicantes of the First Eucharistic Prayer (Roman Canon), the names of some popes are mentioned: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus and Cornelius. Linus, Cletus and Clement are the immediate successors of Saint Peter and were ordained bishops by Peter himself. Some scholars suggest that ‘Sixtus’ refers to Sixtus II (257-258) and Cornelius was pope from 251 to 253.
Sin is moral evil, a bad human act, a failure in human self-realization, undue attachment to things and consequent detachment from God. Sins may rule our life and make us like slaves (Rom 3:9; 7:14). Indeed, “Everyone who commits a sin is a slave of sin” (Jn 8:34). Sin, grave sin is bad use of freedom. St. Augustine tells us in his Confessions that when he was in sin – when as a young man lived a loose life – , he had “the freedom of a run-away slave.” Sin is a betrayal of love that disrupts our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others and with nature (Vatican II, GS 13). From the sin of Adam and Eve, sin presents itself as promise, but it is no more than an illusion and a lie (A. Peteiro).