Two popes sat side by side before a crowd of rain-soaked pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square May 10. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, was at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by St. Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973 outlining the beliefs shared by their churches.
Questioned by the confreres of a Hungarian Jesuit kidnapped with another priest and imprisoned during Argentina’s murderous military dictatorship, Pope Francis said, “I did what I felt I had to do to defend them. It was a very painful affair.”
This week, there will again be “two popes” at the Vatican when Pope Francis meets his Coptic Orthodox counterpart, Pope Tawadros II, who is visiting in a bid to strengthen relations with the Catholic Church and bolster support for Christians in the Middle East.
Pope Francis asked 23 new members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard to draw close to the sacraments, read Scripture and meditate on spiritual texts, including during calm shifts on guard.
Safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons must be a priority for everyone in the church, Pope Francis said.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The U.S.-born archbishop tapped by Pope Francis to help find new bishops said a good candidate is “a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community, starting with the priests for whom the bishop is father and brother.” He must be able “to live this […]
Interreligious dialogue requires sincerity and mutual respect to be fruitful, Pope Francis told Christian and Muslim leaders.
There is real “cultural urgency” for the entire Catholic Church to preserve its audiovisual, documentary and other media archives and assets, Pope Francis said.
Shortly after urging people to pray the rosary for peace and entrusting the people of Ukraine to Mary’s care, Pope Francis met briefly with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, director of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church.
A close papal adviser has said that despite a spate of denials, the secret Vatican peace mission to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that Pope Francis referenced over the weekend does, in fact, exist and could yield results within a few weeks’ time.
