Celebrating his 81st birthday, Pope Francis blew out the candles on a 13-foot long pizza after being serenaded with song and dance by children and employees from a Vatican pediatric clinic.
Pope Francis
Pope Says Journalists Should Stick to the Facts
People need factual and trustworthy news that avoids sensationalism and whipping up heated reactions, Pope Francis said.
Pope Says: Christmas Cheer Can Warm Coldest Hearts
Christmas joy expressed through music brings a message of peace and brotherhood for those most in need, Pope Francis said.
Death Penalty Executions and Support Near Historic Low in US
Two months after Pope Francis’s condemnation of the death penalty as “contrary to the Gospel,” the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) announced that executions were at a near historic low in the United States.
Pope Questions Wording of ‘Our Father’
The Italian and English translations of the “Our Father” can give believers the wrong impression that God can and does lead people into temptation, Pope Francis said.
Pope as Diplomat Tries to Bridge Ethnic Differences
The themes chosen by the local bishops for Pope Francis’ visits to Myanmar and Bangladesh – “Love and peace” and “Harmony and peace” – sounded naive or just too “nicey-nice” to some people. But when love, peace and harmony are missing, the situation is pretty much hell on earth. The Rohingya refugees from Myanmar now living in teeming camps in Bangladesh could testify to that.
Catholics in India Were Hoping for a Papal Visit
As Pope Francis began his tour to Myanmar and Bangladesh, Catholics in neighboring India regret missing a chance to meet him in their homeland, nostalgically recalling past papal visits, reported ucanews.com.
Patiently Waiting
The Holy Father’s recent trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, his pastoral concern evident in his apostolic exhortation, his support of immigrants, and even his general demeanor are all examples of a man who is patient, meeting people where they are on their own personal life journeys, and ready to serve their needs.
Pope’s Peace Mission to Myanmar
At a distance, it’s easy to judge Pope Francis’ visit to Myanmar, the first by a pope to this overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, in absolutes – will he or won’t he publicly acknowledge the plight of the Rohingya, for instance, or will his presence push the nation in the direction of greater democracy and peace, or won’t it?
In Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pope Travels to Peripheries
Pope Francis’ call to ‘go into the peripheries’ is real. In his brief pontificate, he has shown his concern for the poor by calling the Church ‘of the poor and for the poor.’ He has drawn the attention of the world leaders and all concerned by declaring Nov. 19 as a day of the world poor.