Like St. Joseph who had other plans for his life, but lovingly embraced his role as Jesus’ foster father, a priest assigned to a new parish cannot impose his own ways on that community, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis
St. Joseph Pastries Back After Tough Year for Bakers
The unique pastries sfingi and zeppole are back in bakery showcases in time for the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19. The feast this year will occur during the “Year of St. Joseph,” which began on Dec. 8 when Pope Francis called for a year-long celebration of the canonized carpenter.
Vatican Rules Out Church Blessings for Same-Sex Unions
Responding to efforts in some parts of the Catholic world to devise “blessings” of same-sex unions by the Church, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog released a statement Monday saying that such blessings are “not legitimate,” as homosexual unions are “not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”
After 10 Years, Syria’s War May be Over but Poverty ‘Bomb’ Has Exploded
Ten years after Syria’s bloody civil war began, most of the fighting is now over. Yet the country is now facing a massive economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in which rampant poverty is the next major battle it faces.
Pope Francis Praises Filipino Catholics as Joyful Witnesses of the Gospel
The joy of the Gospel has been an integral part of the Filipino identity since the arrival of Christianity in the Southeast Asian country five centuries ago, Pope Francis said.
Analysis: At His Eight-Year Mark, Will Pope Francis Try Turning Down the Temperature?
Internally, his to-do list features a long-simmering reform of the Roman Curia, a sweeping clean-up in money management, the fight against clerical sexual abuse, empowerment of women and laity, a more collaborative (“synodal,” to use his word) mode of decision-making, and more.
Meeting Pope ‘Best Birthday Gift Ever’, Says Father of Drowned Refugee Children
Abdullah Kurdi, the father of the young refugee boy who death five years ago woke the world up to the reality of the migration crisis, has described his recent meeting with Pope Francis as the best birthday present that he’s ever received.
Cleanse Your Hearts of Anger, Live the Gospel, Pope Says at Mass in Irbil
Having witnessed or even experienced persecution for their faith, the Christians of Iraq must be careful not to harbor thoughts of revenge, Pope Francis told them.
Analysis: Pope Francis in Iraq Arguably the Most Emblematic Papal Trip of All Time
Every papal trip is, in a sense, an exercise in storytelling. A pope chooses to travel to a given destination in part because he believes it has a story the world needs to hear, and, for a few days, he lends it his spotlight, so the global media pay attention.
With Iraqi Christians, Pope Francis Extols Women Brutalized by ISIS
Surrounded by the relics of violence, war, and terrorism, Pope Francis Sunday told the Christian community of Iraq that they’re proof in flesh and blood of the victory of life over death.