Pope Francis called for dialogue and cooperation between neighboring nations and appealed for restraint against any actions that could escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Pope Francis
Bishop Rolando Álvarez Released, Exiled from Nicaragua After Over 500 Days of Detention
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa has been released from prison and sent into exile along with 18 imprisoned churchmen as the Nicaraguan government expelled its most prominent critic, whose presence behind bars bore witness to the Sandinista regime descent into totalitarianism, along with its unrelenting persecution of the Catholic Church.
Pope Baptizes 16 Babies, Calling Them ‘Protagonists’ of the Sacrament
Marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord as he always does by celebrating Mass in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Francis baptized 16 infants Sunday, telling their parents that the children are examples of how to receive faith.
Ex-Alabama Priest Who Fled Country With a Teenage Girl Is Laicized
A Mobile, Alabama, priest who left the United States with a teenage woman last summer under murky circumstances, and who returned last fall, has been officially laicized effective immediately, the archdiocese announced on Jan. 5.
Pope Sends Condolences to Victims of Two Suicide Bombings in Iran
Pope Francis expressed his condolences and prayers after two bombings in Kerman, Iran, claimed the lives of 84 people and wounded scores more at a memorial for an assassinated Iranian military officer.
Church and World Must ‘Respect, Defend, Esteem’ Women, Pope Says
The world and the Catholic Church must respect and defend women and foster a motherly care for others to end dehumanizing cycles of violence, Pope Francis said.
Late Pope Benedict Remembered on First Anniversary of His Death
As an expression of ongoing affection and gratitude for the late Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis led tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square in a round of applause for his predecessor on the first anniversary of his death.
Vatican Note on Blessing Same-Sex Couples Draws Mixed US Reaction
In the hours that followed release of a Vatican note outlining the pastoral grounds for same-sex blessings, reactions among American Catholics seemed to run the gamut from styling it as a major step forward to insisting on hitting the brakes, on the grounds that not much has really changed.
Pope Condemns Attack on Gaza Parish Where Israeli Sniper Killed 2 Christian Women
Following the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s denouncement of a series of attacks on Christians in Gaza by Israeli forces Dec. 16, including the killing of a mother and daughter at a Catholic parish, Pope Francis and numerous bishops across the globe also condemned the attack, calling for peace.
Pope Francis Allows Blessings of Same-Sex Couples
Pope Francis is allowing ordained ministers to bless same-sex couples as long as it isn’t confused with the sacrament of marriage, according to a new document issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Dec. 18.