A new version of the three Rs is “reduce, reuse and recycle.” And, actually, failure to do those things may constitute a sin in the future. That’s because in November, Pope Francis announced the possibility of adding “ecological sins” to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I first met Pope Emeritus Benedict in June 1988; over the next three decades, I’ve enjoyed many lengthy conversations and interviews with him, including a bracing discussion covering many topics last Oct. 19. I first met Pope Francis in Buenos Aires in May 1982, and have had three private audiences with him since his election as Successor of Peter. Before, during, and after the conclaves of 2005 and 2013, I was deeply engaged in Rome, where my work included extensive discussions with cardinal-electors before each conclave was immured and after the white smoke went up. On both occasions, I correctly predicted to my NBC colleagues the man who would be elected and, in 2013, the day the election would occur.
Hollywood actors Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins received Oscar nominations on Monday for their portrayals of Popes Francis and Benedict XVI, respectively, in the new film “The Two Popes.”
At the request of retired Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, his name will be removed as co-author of a book defending priestly celibacy, said Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican official who coordinated work on the book.
Pope Francis said Jan. 6 that faith is about more than knowledge and doctrine, pointing to the three wise men who visited the infant Jesus as an example of what it means for the Church to “go out,” seeking to worship God rather than oneself.
Days after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the United States, Pope Francis issued an appeal for peace and calm Jan. 5 amid what he said is an “air of tension” throughout the world.
Pope Francis began 2020 with a bang Wednesday, issuing a harsh condemnation of violence against women and insisting that how society treats women and their bodies is a measure of its level of humanity.
After accepting the resignation of 92-year-old Cardinal Angelo Sodano as dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis changed the norms of the office so that the dean would be elected to a five-year term renewable only once.
The ongoing reform of the Roman Curia is a necessary part of the Catholic Church’s fidelity to its mission to proclaim the Gospel, recognizing that very few countries today can be described as “Christian” and that new ways of evangelizing are necessary, Pope Francis said.
In a move that may signal Pope Francis’ plan for the reform of the Roman Curia is close to completion, the pontiff has named Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
