The only reasonable way to address the suffering of Ukrainians is to stop fighting and negotiate, Pope Francis said. Even during his busy six-day journey to Canada, “I did not cease praying for the suffering and battered Ukrainian people, asking God to free them from the scourge of war,” the pope said after praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square July 31.
Romanian officials have ordered the demolition of a 23-story office building overshadowing Bucharest’s Catholic cathedral, 10 years after a ruling that it was built illegally and endangers the historic landmark. (WARSAW, Poland (CNS)
Pope Francis told reporters on his return flight from a lengthy 6-day trip to Canada that his ongoing health troubles, including osteoarthritis of the knee, could force him to slow down, at least in terms of international travel.
Pope Francis asked forgiveness Thursday for the sexual abuse of children at Church-run residential schools, vowing “never again” and building on an historic apology made the day after his arrival in Canada.
Pope Francis arrived in Quebec Wednesday, where he reiterated his apology to the country’s Indigenous peoples for the Catholic Church’s historic role in the “violent opposition” of their culture and condemned both new and old forms of colonization.
Pope Francis joined Indigenous pilgrims at a lake known for miraculous healings and encouraged them to lay their burdens on the shore.
The words “I am sorry” are powerful. For Tammy Ward of the Samson First Nation, those words from Pope Francis brought tears as she listened on the Muskwa, or Bear Park, Powwow Grounds.
While the perfect bishop does not exist, he does have to be a person who knows how to get others involved in the life of the church and to listen to everyone, including those with whom he may disagree, said a new member of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Survivors of Canada’s residential school system who were present for Pope Francis’ apology Monday described the moment as historic and “bittersweet,” but said the highly anticipated mea culpa will only be meaningful if it’s followed by concrete action.
While presented as missionary work, the operation of residential schools by Catholics in Canada was actually an attempt to impose European culture on Canada’s Indigenous people, Pope Francis said.
