True Pastors Listen More Than They Speak, Says Pope Francis
Authentic Christians can be recognized by their ability to listen, above all to God, said Pope Francis Thursday, while warning that false prophets speak their own words rather than God’s.
Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.
Latest News
Charleston Forgiveness Was Christian, Not Racial
For those without faith, Michael Wear acknowledges, this may make little sense, especially for those who have never personally experienced the forgiveness of God. “But that does not grant us the right to whitewash the motivation for the forgiveness we witnessed in Charleston,” he said. We need to “take the family members seriously when they say it is a sincere, thought-out expression of their faith,” he wrote.
Miami Archbishop: Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush Softer on Climate Change Thanks to Pope Francis
Pope Francis’ controversial encyclical letter on the environment may already be having an effect on US politicians, according to Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, who said Wednesday that the Pope’s words have softened the climate rhetoric of two Republican presidential hopefuls: Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.
Pope Francis: In Broken Families, Children Suffer Most
On Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his reflections on the family, addressing the delicate question of divorce and separation, as well as its effects on family members. He invited his hearers to think more about the effects that adults’ actions have on the most vulnerable, especially little ones.
Vatican Guidelines for Marriage Summit Touted as Victory for Conservatives
The Vatican’s new document that will serve as a guide for discussions in the upcoming synod on marriage and the family has caused consternation among liberals who see the text as a barrier to more progressive reforms in Catholic teaching on marriage.
Libyan Patrol Boat Allegedly Opens Fire on Migrants, Killing One
A patrol boat allegedly opened fire on a raft carrying about 130 migrants off the coast of Libya on Monday, killing one and leaving another injured. According to witnesses from the raft, members of the Libyan military patrol were attempting to rob the passengers, but when they resisted, the militia answered with several rounds of gunfire.
Pope Francis Says Christianity and Weapons Don’t Mix
In an off-the-cuff encounter with young people in Turin over the weekend, Pope Francis took weapons manufacturers to task, suggesting that Christians should have no involvement with the weapons industry.
New York Times: The New Enforcer of Catholic Orthodoxy?
In a truly bizarre reversal of roles, in the course of just a week the New York Times has gone from being the Church’s most trenchant detractor to being an ardent enforcer of Catholic doctrine, polling Catholics to find out whether or not their parish priests are preaching about the Pope’s new encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.
Italian Climatologist: ‘Science Still Knows Little about Climate Change’
Franco Prodi, a celebrated Italian atmospheric physicist and brother to former Italian Premier Romano Prodi, advises caution and humility when dealing with global warming, since we still know very little about the history of climate change and far less about its future.
Pope Francis Blames World Powers for Letting the Holocaust Happen
On Sunday, Pope Francis denounced “the great powers” of the time for not stopping the Holocaust out of “self-interest,” by failing to bomb the railroads heading to concentration camps when they knew what was going on there.
Half Million Gather in Rome for Massive Pro-Family Protest
Despite a torrential downpour, an estimated 500,000 people gathered Saturday in Rome under the banner of “Family Day,” protesting gender ideology and LGBT programs in schools and reaffirming the nature of marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
Turkish Media Praises ISIS, Condemns Kurdish Resistance Fighters
Headlines in pro-government Turkish media Friday praised the Islamic State while criticizing the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which, with the help of US-led air strikes, consolidated their hold over the 400-kilometer region next to Turkey’s border earlier this week.
Pope Francis Warns That Social Media Produces ‘Mental Pollution’
Pope Francis tackles more than just dirty air and polluted rivers in his new encyclical on the environment. He also warns that a society dominated by media and Internet can stifle human relationships and dull the mind, a syndrome he refers to as “mental pollution.”
In Green Encyclical, Pope Comes Down Hard on Transgender
For Pope Francis, in the framework of responsible stewardship for creation, the manipulation of gender implies an assault on the Creator and a disrespect for his designs. In his new encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, the Pope condemns the
Leaked Copy of Pope’s Ecological Encyclical Was the Real Deal
Rarely has the Vatican reacted more swiftly to a journalistic fiasco than it did this week, banning veteran Italian journalist Sandro Magister from the Holy See Press Office and revoking his accreditation just hours after Magister published online a leaked version of the letter.
In Tweeting Frenzy, Pope Calls for Global Conversation on the Environment
In no fewer than 17 tweets as of this printing, Pope Francis has begun e-blasting excerpts from his new encyclical letter on environmental stewardship, calling above all for an “honest debate” on the situation of the environment and what society can do about it.
Pope Expresses Regret for Execution of Christian Reformer Jan Hus
This week Pope Francis received delegates of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, who came to Rome to celebrate a “Liturgy of Reconciliation” on the occasion of the six hundredth anniversary of the burning at
New Report: Italian Population in Free Fall
The Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) has just published its report for the year 2014, which reveals a dangerously aging population and a dramatic decline in Italy’s already low birthrate, not seen since the First World War.
Italian Families Protest Forced Cross-Dressing of Schoolchildren
Parents from the north of Italy have organized a massive demonstration against gender ideology in schools called “Defend Our Children,” to be held this Saturday in the Saint John Lateran Square in Rome. The demonstrators will be protesting Italian educational programs that are meant to blur the sexual identity of children.
Bishops Perform ‘Great Exorcism’ on Entire Mexican Nation
Bishop Cabrero explained the hush-hush nature of the ceremony, saying that otherwise “it arouses morbid curiosity and misinterpretations” when what we are after is simply “doing good for everyone.”
Pope Francis’ Argentine Connection with Environmentalism
Nothing ever happens in a vacuum. Pope Francis’ ongoing concern for environmental issues, which will attain its fullest expression with the release of his encyclical on human ecology Thursday, has deep roots in his own personal experience, especially as archbishop of Buenos Aires, home to one of the most polluted places on the planet.
CLIMATE JUSTICE: Insider Discloses Pope’s Letter to Newspaper in New ‘Vatileaks’
There are still many organizations in the world that require employees to take an oath of secrecy regarding the information they are privy to, and the Vatican is one of them. It would seem that oath-taking, however, has come to mean little.
Who Really Needs the Pope’s Environmental Message?
The Pope has insisted that the poor are the ones who suffer most from systematically trashing the environment, and there certainly does seem to be a remarkable correlation between poverty and pollution.
Pope Francis Warns Christians to Flee ‘Devil’s Noise’
To achieve peace of soul, Christians need to learn to keep their hearts free from “passions” and “worldly noise,” which is the “devil’s noise,” Pope Francis counseled Monday in his homily at morning Mass in the Vatican.
Teenage North Korean Soldier Breaches Border to Escape to South Korea
A teenage North Korean soldier defected to South Korea Sunday through the fortified border separating the two countries, according a statement Monday from the Ministry of Defense in Seoul. The escape is the first of its kind in nearly three years.
