World News

Chile

Beatitudes are fruits of hope, not cheap talk, pope says in Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile (CNS)—The beatitudes are not cheap words for those who think they know it all yet do not commit to faith; they are the fruit of a hopeful heart that yearns for peace and happiness, Pope Francis said. Christ’s response to the longings and aspirations of those seeking a life of happiness are not […] Full Story | En Español

• ‘Is my dad in heaven?’ little boy asks pope

  By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
  Published April 23, 2018

  ROME (CNS)—After circling a massive, crumbling public housing complex on the outskirts of Rome, Pope Francis had an emotional encounter with the neighborhood’s children. Question-and-answer sessions with youngsters are a standard part of Pope Francis’ parish visits. And, at St. Paul of the Cross parish April 15, there were the usual questions like, “How did […] Full Story

• Repentant sinners need merciful confessors, not inquisitors, pope says

  

  By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES, Catholic News Service
  Published April 19, 2018

  VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Priests must give hope to men and women seeking forgiveness, encouraging them in their struggles away from the slippery slope of sin, Pope Francis said. Being merciful in the confessional helps penitents return to God without fear, even if they repeatedly stumble or slip on a path that “is filled with stones and […] Full Story

• Mexican bishops: Most churches damaged in September quakes were historic

  By DAVID AGREN, Catholic News Service
  Published January 31, 2018

  MEXICO CITY (CNS)—A report from the Mexican bishops’ conference has catalogued 1,850 damaged churches—including 17 cathedrals—due to the twin earthquakes that shook the country in September. The report, released Jan. 29, found that 1,603 of damaged churches were cataloged as “historic” buildings. Some 220 churches remain closed, while 38 places of worship collapsed. Churches in […] Full Story | En Español