by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of 13 candidates, including the “father of Puerto Rican public education” and the Canadian founder of a religious order dedicated to helping unwed mothers. During a meeting Dec. 9 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the […]
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Israel at Vatican: Pope and Netanyahu Discuss Peace in Middle East and Pope’s Impending Visit
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel Dec. 2 and discussed prospects for peace in the Middle East and the pope’s still-unscheduled trip to the Holy Land. The two met privately for about 25 minutes in the pope’s library. Talked About Complex Situation A […]
Pope Worked as a Bouncer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In addition to having worked sweeping floors and running tests in a chemical laboratory as a teenager, Pope Francis revealed he also used to work as a bouncer. No longer kicking troublemakers out of clubs, he has discovered the secret to bringing people back, this time, into the church, according to […]
Pope: Purify Church By Looking Within
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization met at the Vatican in October, 2012, among the top items on the agenda was the threat of militant secularism in a post-Christian West. “It is as if a tsunami of secular influence has swept across the cultural […]
Pope Stirs Controversy With Words on Economy
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In enunciating the principles of Catholic social teaching, popes have long stressed the Church’s special concern for the poor and the need for state intervention to promote economic justice. Pope Benedict XVI, for instance, blamed the “logic of profit” for widespread hunger and pollution; called for a […]
Pope Praises Grandparents
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Just as fine wine grows stronger with age, grandparents and other elderly Catholics “have the strength to leave us a noble inheritance,” Pope Francis said at his early morning Mass. Celebrating the liturgy Nov. 19 in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis once again denounced a cultural […]
Pope Closes Year of Faith
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis closed the Year of Faith by calling on people to keep Christ at the center of their lives, especially in times of trouble. “When Jesus is at the center, light shines even the darkest moments of our lives; he gives us hope,” he said in his […]
Pope and Putin Talk Primarily About Peace
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Peace in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing war in Syria, topped the agenda Nov. 25 as Pope Francis welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Vatican. The Russian president “conveyed the greetings of (Russian Orthodox) Patriarch Kirill, but there was not a discussion of ecumenical relations,” said […]
Even Pope Goes to Confession
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said he goes to confession every two weeks, knowing that God never tires of forgiving those who repent but also knowing that having a priest say “I absolve you” reinforces belief in God’s mercy. Using the literal Italian translation of a Spanish saying, “It’s better to […]
Pope’s First Writing Lays Out a Vision for Church
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization in a positive key, with a focus on society’s poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn. “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), […]