Filipinos Eagerly Await Pope’s Visit

By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) – Filipino Catholics living in the U.S. say the pope’s upcoming visit to the Philippines will be a big boost for their homeland that has experienced so much suffering. “After all the travesties” the country has faced, the visit will provide a “flicker of light and a glimmer of hope,” […]

Pope: Prepare for Christmas With Joy

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – No saint was ever known for having a “funeral face,” Pope Francis said; the joy of knowing one is loved by God and saved by Christ must be seen at least in a sense of peace, if not a smile. Celebrating the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, […]

Popemobile Donated to Holy Land Franciscans

The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) has announced that the popemobile used in Bethlehem by Pope Francis during his pilgrimage of peace last May has been donated to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land by the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. According to the Franciscan Media Center, the popemobile will […]

Pope Wants Church to Foster More Inclusion

By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church must consider various ways to integrate the divorced and civilly remarried in the life of the Church – not merely allowing them to receive Communion, but letting them serve as eucharistic ministers and godparents – and to make it easier for […]

Pope: Advent Is a Time For Silence and Service

ROME (CNS) – In the heart of Rome’s high-end shopping district, sparkling with Christmas lights and shiny baubles in the windows of famous designers, Pope Francis prayed that people would spend time in silence and in service as they prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, Pope Francis […]

Pope Says End of World Will Not Be a Time of Destruction

Believing in eternity and in the final establishment of the kingdom of God, Christians throughout history – starting with the disciples – were filled with questions such as when the end will come and what will happen to the created world, Pope Francis said.

In Turkey, Pope Visits ‘Invisible’ Christians

Ankara and Istanbul were gray and cold, at least compared to Rome, during Pope Francis’ Nov. 28-30 visit to Turkey. And the general reception, outside of the pope’s official meetings, was hardly warmer.

Complex Issues Await Pope in Turkey

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Almost every papal trip abroad is a complex mix of the religious and political, and that will be especially true of Pope Francis’ Nov. 28-30 visit to Turkey. Given the country’s crucial geographic position straddling Europe and Asia, its historic importance for both Christianity and Islam and the wars now raging […]

Pope Encourages New Idealism for Europe

By Cindy Wooden STRASBOURG, France (CNS) – The project of European unity and cooperation, ensuring peace on the continent and helping others find peace as well, requires a real commitment to dialogue and respect for others, Pope Francis said. While the pope did not specifically mention the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both members […]

It’s Official! Pope Is Coming to US

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said he would attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in September, making it the first confirmed stop on what is expected to be a more extensive papal visit to North America, including a stop in New York. The pope made the announcement Nov. 17 in a speech […]