Vatican City
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Brand new ballgame: 72 men, including Atlantan, start lives as seminarians in Rome
By ROBERT DUNCAN, Catholic News Service
Published September 4, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—As ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” bellowed across an immaculately groomed sports field not far from St. Peter’s Basilica, a new class of U.S. seminarians faced off against their peers in a fraternal game of softball. The onlooking fans, who included Vatican officials and seminary staff, said they perceive God’s providence in the […] Full Story
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Ideals worth sacrificing for: Pope to challenge U.S. Congress, U.N.
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published August 20, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Along with having a winning smile and a warm embrace, Pope Francis is known for challenging people. He does it regularly at morning Mass—particularly calling out hypocrisy and gossip—and does not spare even his closest aides in the Roman Curia, so it is unlikely his speeches to the U.S. Congress and the U.N. […] Full Story
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Pope: God made celebrations; ‘A loving gaze at work well done’
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published August 20, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Families need moments of rest and celebration, time for standing back and recognizing the gifts of God and how well they have developed, Pope Francis said. Celebrations are times “to enjoy that which cannot be produced or consumed, that cannot be bought or sold,” the pope said Aug. 12 at his weekly general […]
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Lessons from South America: How to greet and understand Pope Francis
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published August 20, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—People make special preparations for welcoming a special guest, and watching what worked and did not work in Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay may help people preparing for Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September. Some of the plans, however, will require common-sense adjustments, especially because the U.S. Secret Service is likely […]
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Sept. 1 is World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published August 20, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Like their Orthodox brothers and sisters, Catholics formally will mark Sept. 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis has decided. The day of prayer, the pope said, will give individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God’s help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask […]
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World’s mayors head to Vatican, vow to tackle climate change, poverty
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published August 7, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—After decades of world leaders trying to set global goals to address climate change and extreme poverty, city mayors gathered at the Vatican to pledge they will take real action and lead the fight on their streets. Pope Francis told the mayors that they were important because they were at the “grass roots” […] Full Story
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Pope’s visits to Cuba, U.S. to highlight families, charity, tolerance
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published July 23, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—In word and deed, Pope Francis will take his vision of a Catholic’s approach to family life, parish life, charity, economics, immigration and good governance to Cuba and the United States during a Sept. 19-27 visit. Visiting both Cuba and the United States on the same trip not only acknowledges his role in […] Full Story
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Pope tells parents to be mindful of their children’s suffering
By LAURA IERACI, Catholic News Service
Published July 9, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The deep hurts that spouses inflict on each other cause great suffering to their children and, in some cases, lead to a separation that is “morally necessary” to protect spouses and children from more serious forms of violence, Pope Francis said during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square June 24. Continuing a […]
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What to do? The pope’s practical tips for helping the environment
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published June 25, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home” is a call for global action as well as an appeal for deep inner conversion. He points to numerous ways world organizations, nations and communities must move forward and the way individuals—believers and people of good will—should see, think, feel and act. […]
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All creation sings God’s praise, but people are silencing it, pope says
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published June 25, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The earth, which was created to support life and give praise to God, is crying out with pain because human activity is destroying it, Pope Francis says in his long-awaited encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” All who believe in God and all people of good will have an obligation […] Full Story
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Pope: Christian hope, love are answer to ‘darkness of death’
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published June 25, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Christian hope and faith in the afterlife mean the sting of losing a loved one does not have to leave behind a poisonous venom in our lives, Pope Francis said. “Our loved ones have not disappeared into dark nothingness: Hope assures us that that they are in God’s good and strong hands. Love […]
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Former nuncio will face Vatican trial on charges of abuse, child porn
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published June 15, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—A former Vatican nuncio will stand trial in a Vatican court on charges of the sexual abuse of minors and possession of child pornography. Jozef Wesolowski, the laicized former nuncio to the Dominican Republic, is accused of “a number of offenses” committed between 2008 and the date of his arrest in September 2014. […]
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Pope OKs plan to investigate, judge bishops who fail to act on abuse
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published June 12, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)–Pope Francis has approved new procedures for the Vatican to investigate and judge claims of “abuse of office” by bishops who allegedly failed to protect minors and vulnerable adults from sex abuse. The procedures will include a new “judicial section” within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that has a papal […] Full Story
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Mother and son: Pope Francis shares personal, intimate devotion to Mary
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published May 28, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—From Easter to Pentecost—and especially during the Marian month of May—Catholics recite the “Regina Coeli” prayer “with the emotion of children who are happy because their mother is happy” that Jesus has risen from the dead, Pope Francis said. Although his devotion to the Mother of God is profound, it is simple in […] Full Story
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Pope: God will judge people on care for poor, the planet
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published May 28, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The powerful of the earth will face God’s judgment and will be asked to account for how they cared for the poor and how they cared for the environment so that it could produce food for all, Pope Francis said. “The planet has enough food for all, but it seems that there is […]
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Papal push: Caritas leader sees ‘Francis effect’ at work on the ground
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published May 14, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Catholic charities around the world have no doubt about the reality of a “Francis effect” on their work. Because of the ongoing global economic crisis, most of the 164 national Catholic charities that form the Caritas Internationalis confederation report no significant increase in donations. However, the secretary-general of the Vatican-based network says Pope […] Full Story
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Pope: Newlyweds ‘courageous’; marriage is ‘great act of faith’
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published May 14, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—A Christian marriage isn’t just a big ceremony held in a church with nice flowers and everyone wearing fancy clothes and taking lots of pictures, Pope Francis said. Marriage is an act of faith between a man and woman who are both fragile and limited, but courageous enough to follow Christ and seek […] Full Story
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No boring homilies, pope tells 19 new priests at ordination
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published May 1, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Ordaining 19 men to the priesthood, Pope Francis not only told them to make sure their homilies were not boring, but he offered them advice on how to ensure their preaching would touch people: Speak from your heart. Priests are called to nourish the faithful, he said, so they must ensure “that your […]
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Pope prays for quake victims, sends donation, urges solidarity
By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service
Published April 30, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Francis offered his prayers to all of those affected by a deadly earthquake in Nepal, encouraged rescue and emergency workers in their efforts and sent an initial donation of $100,000. More than 5,000 people were known to have been killed, as of April 28, and more than 1 million people were left […] Full Story
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Pope: Children are never a mistake, adults must sacrifice for them
By LAURA IERACI, Catholic News Service
Published April 16, 2015VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Children are never a “mistake” and no sacrifice is too great for an adult to make so that children can feel their worth, Pope Francis said. During his weekly general audience in a chilly, but sunny St. Peter’s Square April 8, the pope continued his series of talks about the family, dedicating a […]
