At the end of Pope Francis’ meeting with priests, seminarians and religious in the cathedral of Naples, the vial of dried blood of the city’s patron saint appeared to miraculously liquefy.
Pope Francis
UN: Pope Will Speak on Sept. 25
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the announcement that Pope Francis would address the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 25.
The Indomitable and Effective Cardinal Pell
Shortly after Cardinal George Pell was named Archbishop of Melbourne, he instituted several reforms at the archdiocesan seminary, including daily Mass and the daily celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, both of which had fallen by the wayside in the preceding years.
Pope Visits Poor, Immigrants in Naples
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Hope is the first act of resistance to evil, Pope Francis told the people of Naples as he pleaded for respect for the dignity of immigrants, jobs for the unemployed and the conversion of the city’s notorious mafia families. “The Gospel teaches that the truly blessed are the […]
Pope Announces Holy Year of Mercy
The biblical theme of the year, he said, will be “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” an admonition that applies “especially to confessors,” the pope said with a smile.
What is a Holy Year?
For the Catholic Church, a holy year remains a time of great spiritual significance, and emphasis is placed on the examination of conscience and conversion, the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, concrete acts of solidarity and initiatives to restore justice.
A Year of Mercy
Pope Francis caught the world by surprise by announcing a new Holy Year, a Year of Mercy. More than just a special year dedicated to a theme, this would be a Jubilee Year. The details of the year have not yet been fully released, but under the guidance of the Pontifical Council for the New […]
A Short Papacy?
Last week, we celebrated two years in the Petrine office for Pope Francis and as is his way, he gave an interview to a television network, Televisa. In the course of the interview, the Holy Father stated: “I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief… four or five years. I don’t know, even […]
A Mission of Loving With Integrity
The World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this September should be more than a vast Catholic “gathering of the clans” around Pope Francis – and so should the months between now and then.
Pope Talks About a Brief Papacy
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Pope Francis went out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time, he said he did not prepare what he was going to say, but “I felt deeply that a minister needs the blessing of God, but also of his people.” He did not […]