As Pope Francis became the first pope to celebrate Mass on the French island of Corsica Dec. 15, the usual excitement of an open-air Mass with the pope was combined with the flair and pageantry of a Renaissance fair.
Pope Francis
New Encyclical ‘Simple and Powerful Cure’ to Many Societal Issues, U.S. Bishop Says
The head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says Pope Francis’ new encyclical offers a “simple and powerful” cure to many problems that plague modern society.
‘Old Pope’ Thanks God for His Four-Nation Trip to Asia and the Pacific
The 87-year-old Pope Francis publicly thanked God for allowing him “to do as an old pope what I would have liked to do as a young Jesuit,” and that is to travel to Asia to preach the Gospel.
Cookies Bearing Likeness of Pope Francis Given after Mass to Rikers Island Inmates
Maria Notaro of La Guli Pastry Shop in Astoria has revised her cookie recipe that commemorated Pope Francis’s 2015 visit to New York City. She recently shared a batch of the treats with people trying to grow in the faith, even while incarcerated at Rikers Island.
Vatican Excommunicates Archbishop Viganò, Found Guilty of Schism
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former nuncio to the United States, has been excommunicated after being found guilty of schism, the Vatican said.
Pope Apologizes For Using ‘Homophobic’ Slang
Pope Francis “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” that is considered vulgar in Italian, the Vatican press office said.
Pope Francis Recognizes Miracle Needed for Church’s First Millennial Saint
Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager whose birth in 1991 will make him the first “millennial” to become a saint.
Pope Francis’ CBS Interview Addresses Women Deacons, War, Migrants, Climate Change and Hope
Pope Francis said he is not open to the possibility of ordaining women as deacons, weeks after authorizing several Vatican study groups to look into that issue and others as part of the Synod on Synodality — although “women have always had … the function of deaconesses without being deacons,” and that “making space in the church for women does not mean giving them a ministry.”
In ’60 Minutes’ Interview, Pope Clarifies Same-Sex Blessings, Speaks Out Against War, Says Clergy Abuse Can ‘Not Be Tolerated’
In the latest comment from the Vatican on “Fiducia Supplicans,” the controversial declaration issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in December 2023 that includes guidelines on the blessing of same-sex couples, Pope Francis clarified that he didn’t allow blessings of “the union” but of “each person.”
Pope Urges Global Leaders, U.S. Governors to Take Urgent Climate Action
Pope Francis urged three U.S. governors and a group of mayors from around the world to work with international partners in developing a “holistic” approach to climate action that reduces emissions and combats inequality.