Pope Francis said his September trip to the U.S. will take him to Philadelphia, New York and Washington – where he intends to canonize Blessed Junipero Serra – but probably no other stops. Pope Francis made his remarks Jan. 19, in an hourlong news conference with reporters accompanying him back to Rome from a weeklong […]
Pope Francis
Pope Urges Filipinos to Protect the Family Unit
By Francis X. Rocca MANILA, Philippines (CNS) – Pope Francis told a crowd of an estimated six million gathered in a Manila park to protect the family “against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture.” The pope’s homily at […]
Papal Style Adapts to the People
By Cindy Wooden MANILA, Philippines (CNS) – New situations are opportunities to learn new things, even about the 78-year-old Pope Francis. After two days of watching the pope tenaciously keep his appointments in the Philippines despite pouring rain Jan. 17-18, one lesson is that the papal wardrobe needs to be expanded to include rain gear. […]
Pope, at Mass With Millions, Tells Filipinos to Protect the Family
The pope’s homily at the Jan. 18 Mass, which drew an estimated 6-7 million people, also reprised several other themes he had sounded during the four-day visit, including environmental problems, poverty and corruption.
Crowds in Manila Just Get Glimpses of Pope on His First Popemobile Ride
By Simone Orendain MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Pope Francis shot past the crowd very quickly during his first popemobile drive-by in Manila Jan. 15, but nobody seemed to mind that he was gone in a matter of seconds. Ferdinand Agood, a retired overseas contract worker who lives on the opposite side of Manila from the […]
Exuberant Crowds Greet Pope in Philippines
By Cindy Wooden MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Although it was not called a welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis was greeted by government and church officials and an exuberant crowd Jan. 15 at Manila’s Villamor Air Base. The pope arrived 13 minutes earlier than scheduled at the base near Manila’s international airport following a six-hour flight from […]
Pope: Market Won’t Solve Poverty
“Markets and financial speculation cannot enjoy absolute autonomy,” the Pope said. There must be “programs, mechanisms and procedures aimed at a better distribution of resources, job creation and the integral advancement of those who are excluded.”
Pope Visits Sri Lanka, On Way to Philippines
By Francis X. Rocca COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNS) – Arriving in Sri Lanka, a country recovering from two-and-a-half decades of ethnic and religious civil war, Pope Francis said reconciliation would require its people to explore their painful recent history and accept persistent differences within their multicultural society. “The process of healing also needs to include the […]
Pope Offers Mass for Victims of Paris Attack
The morning after 12 people were shot to death and 11 others injured at the Paris office of a satirical weekly newspaper, Pope Francis dedicated his early morning Mass to the victims and their families.
Pope Likely to Visit New York
Asked if Pope Francis would visit the United Nations in New York in September, the Vatican secretary of state replied: “I think so, but no official announcement has been done. But everybody is speaking of that.”