Pope Francis addresses participants of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications’ plenary assembly during a special audience at the Vatican Sept. 21. The pope said issues facing Catholic communicators are not principally technological but rather knowing how to dialogue about the faith.

Communication, Not ‘Theological Brainwashing’

by Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Helping the Church get the Gospel message out to the digital world depends more on a loving passion for reaching out to others than being tech savvy or a verbal warrior, Pope Francis told Catholic communicators. “I believe that the goal is to understand how to enter into […]

On Sardinia, Pope Pleads For a More Just Economy

by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Visiting an Italian region especially hard hit by the European economic crisis, Pope Francis blamed high unemployment on globalization driven by greed and said those who give charitable aid to the poor must treat their beneficiaries with dignity. “We want a just system, a system that lets […]

Is the Pope Saying Something New?

Reactions to a published interview with Pope Francis in last week’s America magazine have Church pundits puzzled, but they are at no loss for words in trying to explain what the Holy Father meant. The section that has received the most comments was: “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and […]

Photo © Catholic News Service

Neither Rain Nor Sleet…

Umbrellas are seen as people shelter from the rain as Pope Francis is pictured on a large screen leading the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 15.

Ring! Ring! It’s the Pope Calling!

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Picking up the telephone and calling people out of the blue is no big deal for Pope Francis, according to a Vatican official. Msgr. Dario Vigano, director of the Vatican Television Center, said the pope told him that the many calls the journalists have brought to light are just the tip […]

Future Pope Helped Save Argentine Dissidents

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – While a military-backed dictatorship in Argentina was conducting a clandestine war on suspected dissidents, then-Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future pope, masterminded a secret strategy to save those being targeted, according to a new book. Titled “Bergoglio’s List: Those Saved by Pope Francis; Stories Never Told,” the book also includes the […]

Pope Writes Letter to Secular Italian Paper

by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Writing in one of Italy’s major secular newspapers, Pope Francis called for a “sincere and rigorous dialogue” between the Church and nonbelievers as an “intimate and indispensable expression” of Christian love. The pope’s words appeared in a 2,600-word letter published in the Sept. 11 edition of the […]

Pope Francis Tells His Priests That Sanctity Will Overcome Scandals

by Francis X. Rocca ROME (CNS) – Acting in his capacity as bishop of Rome, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to his diocesan priests, assuring them that recent and current scandals cannot overcome the Church’s holiness and urging them to keep their vocations alive through love of God. The pope made his remarks Sept. […]

Pope Calls on Wealthy To Do More for Needy

by Francis X. Rocca ROME (CNS) – Speaking at an assistance center for foreign refugees in Italy, Pope Francis called on wealthy societies and the Catholic Church to do more to help and defend the rights of the needy. “Charity that leaves a poor person just the way he is does not suffice,” the pope […]

Pope Hears Concerns About Curial Reform

by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis met with Vatican officials Sept. 10 to hear their questions and suggestions about his ongoing reform of the Vatican bureaucracy. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said the meeting lasted nearly three hours and, except for a brief greeting by the pope, was devoted […]